Revision: March 18, 2013, midnight
HB 204-FN-LOCAL –AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
13Mar2013… 0649h
2013 SESSION
10/03
HOUSE BILL 204-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT relative to the removal of social security and other numbers from registry of deeds documents available on the Internet.
SPONSORS: Rep. Watrous, Merr 16; Rep. Kurk, Hills 2
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
This bill requires the registers of deeds to remove social security numbers, armed forces service numbers, credit card numbers, and deposit account numbers discovered by registers in the ordinary cause of business from documents made available on the Internet.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13Mar2013… 0649h
13-0599
10/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT relative to the removal of social security and other numbers from registry of deeds documents available on the Internet.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Registers of Deeds; Social Security Numbers and Financial Information. Amend RSA 478:4-b to read as follows:
478:4-b Records; Social Security Numbers and Financial Information.
I. The preparer of a document shall not include an individual’s social security number, armed forces service number, credit card number, or deposit account numbers in a document that is prepared and presented for recording in the office of the register of deeds. This paragraph shall not apply to state or federal tax liens[,] and certified copies of death certificates[, and other documents required by law to contain such information that are] filed or recorded in the office of the register of deeds. For the purpose of this section, “preparer” shall mean the person who drafts the documents that are recorded with the register of deeds. Preparer shall not include any person who hires, requires, refers, pays, or requests that the documents be drafted or recorded.
II. If a deed or instrument that includes an individual’s social security number, armed forces service number, credit card number, or deposit account numbers, was filed with the register of deeds and is available on the Internet, [the individual may request that the register of deeds] and if the information is discovered by the register of deeds in the ordinary course of business after the effective date of this section, the register of deeds shall redact such information from the Internet record. The register of deeds shall also establish a procedure by which individuals may request that such information be redacted from its files which are available on the Internet. Upon request, the information shall be redacted.
III. The register of deeds shall comply with an individual’s request to redact his or her social security number, armed forces service number, credit card number, or deposit account numbers within 5 business days of the receipt of the request, or sooner, if ordered to do so by a court, for good cause shown.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
13-0599
Amended 03/14/13
HB 204 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to the removal of social security and other numbers from registry of deeds documents available on the Internet.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The New Hampshire Association of Counties states this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2013-0649h), may increase county expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2013 and each year thereafter. There is no impact on state, county, and local revenue, or state and local expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The New Hampshire Association of Counties states this bill would amend RSA 478:4-b by requiring the register of deeds to redact certain personally identifiable information from documents filed in the registry of deeds and available on the internet, and if the information is discovered by the register of deeds in the ordinary course of business. The Association states it is unable to estimate the number of files that would need redaction and is therefore, unable to estimate costs.