HB 598 - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
6Mar2025... 0310h
2025 SESSION
25-0830
11/05
HOUSE BILL 598
SPONSORS: Rep. Corcoran, Hills. 28; Rep. Erf, Hills. 28; Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. Warden, Hills. 39
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a committee to study data sources of all entities operated by all three branches of government that are or are potentially made available to the public, identify the data formats of those sources, and recommend legislation to standardize types and formats of data output from all or select governmental entities.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
6Mar2025... 0310h 25-0830
11/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT establishing a committee to study data sources of all entities operated by all branches of government that are or are potentially made available to the public, identify the data formats of those sources, and recommend legislation to standardize types and formats of data output from all or select governmental entities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the various departments' data sources made available to the public, potential data to be made available to the public, in which potential data formats, and legislation to standardize types and formats of data output from all or select departments.
2 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, all of whom shall be qualified by their experiences, with at least one representative being a member of the minority party.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
3 Duties. The committee shall evaluate potential data to be made available to the public, including the following:
I. Data currently made available to the public, from which departments, and in which formats;
II. The potential for additional data to be made available to the public;
III. Potential data formats for standardizing data made available to the public; and
IV. Recommended legislation to require the various departments to produce what data in a which format in what time-frame.
V. Protecting personal identifiable information.
VI. For the purposes of this committee:
(a) "Department" means any portion of the state government.
(b) "Data" is intended to include pre-existing spreadsheets, databases, third party applications that compile data in standardized formats, and the like and to capture the compendia of facts.
(c) The particular intent regarding looking for both "data" and "data output" is that the goal of the committee is to research what data exists, what subset of that data might be exposed to the public, and what parts of that could be satisfied by using already existing reports, exports, and outputs.
4 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
5 Report. The committee shall report its preliminary findings in an interim report by November 1, 2025 and report its final findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2026.
6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Feb. 27, 2025 | 2025-0310h |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 5, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| Feb. 5, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| Feb. 12, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
March 11, 2025: Introduced 03/06/2025 and Referred to Executive Departments and Administration; SJ 7
March 6, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-0310h: MA VV 03/06/2025 HJ 7
March 6, 2025: Amendment # 2025-0310h: AA VV 03/06/2025 HJ 7
Feb. 27, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0310h 02/12/2025 (Vote 12-2; CC) HC 14 P. 9
Feb. 27, 2025: Executive Session: 02/05/2025 11:00 am LOB 306-308
Jan. 29, 2025: Public Hearing: 02/05/2025 11:00 am LOB 306-308
Jan. 16, 2025: Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Executive Departments and Administration HJ 3 P. 18