N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 354-A: § 354-A:25
Construction.
Operative Text
No provision of this chapter shall be deemed to supersede any other provision of law for the protection of minors or for the regulation of the employment of minors. The provisions of this chapter shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of the purposes thereof. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed to repeal any of the provisions of the civil rights law or any other law of this state relating to discrimination because of age, sex, gender identity, race, creed, color, marital status, physical or mental disability or national origin; but, as to acts declared unlawful by this chapter the procedure provided in this chapter shall, while pending, be exclusive and the final determination therein shall exclude any other action, civil or criminal, based on the same grievance of the individual concerned. If such individual institutes any action based on such grievance without resorting to the procedure provided in this chapter, such person may not subsequently resort to the procedure in this chapter, provided, however, that nothing in this section shall prevent any individual from applying for or receiving unemployment compensation while the procedure provided for in this chapter is pending or after the procedure provided in this chapter has been concluded. This section shall not prevent the commission for human rights from investigating and acting upon a complaint of discrimination when the complainant has also filed a claim for unemployment compensation in which the issue of illegal discrimination is raised.
New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 354-A:25 establishes how the state's anti-discrimination chapter interacts with other laws. It clarifies that the chapter does not override existing protections for minors or other state civil rights laws covering characteristics such as age, sex, race, and disability. However, once a discrimination complaint is actively being handled under this chapter's procedures, that process becomes the exclusive avenue for relief on that specific grievance — meaning a separate civil or criminal action based on the same complaint cannot proceed simultaneously. Importantly, pursuing unemployment compensation is not affected by this exclusivity rule, and the Commission for Human Rights retains authority to act on discrimination complaints even when a related unemployment claim is pending.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in New Hampshire should understand that § 354-A:25 does not diminish any existing civil rights protections that apply to housing and employment decisions. A compliant operator recognizes that once a discrimination complaint is filed and processed under Chapter 354-A, that administrative procedure generally becomes the exclusive channel for resolving that specific grievance. Landlords and managers typically maintain consistent, documented practices across all protected characteristics — including age, sex, gender identity, race, creed, color, marital status, disability, and national origin — to reflect the chapter's broad, liberally construed scope.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 354-A:25, tenants and other individuals in New Hampshire retain the full range of anti-discrimination protections that existed before this chapter, and the chapter is to be interpreted broadly in favor of those protections. A key practical consideration is that if a person chooses to file a discrimination complaint through the Chapter 354-A procedure, that process generally becomes the exclusive path for that grievance while it is pending — filing a separate lawsuit on the same complaint at the same time is generally not permitted. Individuals who believe their rights have been violated may consider contacting the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights to understand available procedures, and should be aware that seeking unemployment compensation does not forfeit or interrupt their rights under this chapter.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 20, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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