CHAPTER 244
HB 1347 - FINAL VERSION
21Mar2018... 0442h
05/02/2018 1720s
2018 SESSION
18-2324
01/03
HOUSE BILL 1347
AN ACT relative to information to be included in the minutes under the right-to-know law.
SPONSORS: Rep. Sylvia, Belk. 6; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Souza, Hills. 43
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires that certain information made during deliberations under the right-to-know law be recorded in the minutes.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
21Mar2018... 0442h
05/02/2018 1720s 18-2324
01/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen
AN ACT relative to information to be included in the minutes under the right-to-know law.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
244:1 Right-to-Know; Meetings Open to the Public. Amend RSA 91-A:2, II to read as follows:
II. Subject to the provisions of RSA 91-A:3, all meetings, whether held in person, by means of telephone or electronic communication, or in any other manner, shall be open to the public. Except for town meetings, school district meetings, and elections, no vote while in open session may be taken by secret ballot. Any person shall be permitted to use recording devices, including, but not limited to, tape recorders, cameras, and videotape equipment, at such meetings. Minutes of all such meetings, including nonpublic sessions, shall include the names of members, persons appearing before the public bodies, and a brief description of the subject matter discussed and final decisions. The names of the members who made or seconded each motion shall be recorded in the minutes. Subject to the provisions of RSA 91-A:3, minutes shall be promptly recorded and open to public inspection not more than 5 business days after the meeting, except as provided in RSA 91-A:6, and shall be treated as permanent records of any public body, or any subordinate body thereof, without exception. Except in an emergency or when there is a meeting of a legislative committee, a notice of the time and place of each such meeting, including a nonpublic session, shall be posted in 2 appropriate places one of which may be the public body's Internet website, if such exists, or shall be printed in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town at least 24 hours, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, prior to such meetings. An emergency shall mean a situation where immediate undelayed action is deemed to be imperative by the chairman or presiding officer of the public body, who shall post a notice of the time and place of such meeting as soon as practicable, and shall employ whatever further means are reasonably available to inform the public that a meeting is to be held. The minutes of the meeting shall clearly spell out the need for the emergency meeting. When a meeting of a legislative committee is held, publication made pursuant to the rules of the house of representatives or the senate, whichever rules are appropriate, shall be sufficient notice. If the charter of any city or town or guidelines or rules of order of any public body require a broader public access to official meetings and records than herein described, such charter provisions or guidelines or rules of order shall take precedence over the requirements of this chapter. For the purposes of this paragraph, a business day means the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, excluding national and state holidays.
244:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.
Approved: June 12, 2018
Effective Date: January 01, 2019
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2018 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 20, 2018 | House | Exec Session |
| House | Floor Vote | |
| March 6, 2018 | House | Floor Vote |
| March 15, 2018 | House | Floor Vote |
| April 10, 2018 | Senate | Hearing |
| May 2, 2018 | Senate | Floor Vote |
June 12, 2018: Signed by Governor Sununu 06/12/2018; Chapter 244; Eff. 1/1/2019
May 23, 2018: Enrolled 05/23/2018
May 23, 2018: Enrolled (In recess 05/23/2018); SJ 18
May 10, 2018: House Concurs with Senate Amendment 1720s (Rep. Hagan): MA VV 05/10/2018
May 2, 2018: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2018-1720s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/02/2018; SJ 15
May 2, 2018: Committee Amendment # 2018-1720s, AA, VV; 05/02/2018; SJ 15
May 2, 2018: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2018-1720s, 05/02/2018; SC 19
April 10, 2018: Hearing: 04/10/2018, Room 100, SH, 09:15 am; SC 16
March 22, 2018: Introduced 03/22/2018 and Referred to Judiciary; SJ 11
March 21, 2018: Ought to Pass with Amendment 0442h: MA VV 03/21/2018 HJ 9 P. 11
March 21, 2018: Amendment # 2018-0442h: AA VV 03/21/2018 HJ 9 P. 11
March 15, 2018: Suspend House Rule 65; extending deadline for action to 3/22/2018 (Reps. Hinch, Shurtleff): MA VV by necessary two-thirds vote 03/15/2018 HJ 8 P. 69
: Special Order to 3/15/2018 Without Objection HJ 7 P. 49
March 6, 2018: Suspend House Rule 65 (Reps. Hinch, Shurtleff): MA VV by necessary two-thirds vote 03/06/2018 HJ 6 P. 125
March 6, 2018: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2018-0442h for 03/06/2018 (Vote 8-7; RC) HC 9 P. 70
: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2018-0442h (Vote 8-7; RC)
Feb. 20, 2018: Executive Session: 02/20/2018 LOB 208
Jan. 23, 2018: Public Hearing: 01/23/2018 01:00 PM LOB 208
Jan. 3, 2018: Introduced 01/03/2018 and referred to Judiciary HJ 1 P. 7