Bills 2021
The Right-to-Know Law changes as new bills pass into law. Almost every year there are proposed bills to amend the Right-to-Know Law. For the 2021 legislative session, Right to Know NH has proposed the following 2 bills to strengthen the ability of citizens of New Hampshire to access their government.
Legend: OTP – Ought to Pass, ITL – Inexpedient to Legislate
HB 108 – maintain list of non-released minutes as a public record
SPONSORS: Rep. Ulery, Hills. 37; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. McGuire, Merr. 29; Rep. T. Lekas, Hills. 37
RTKNH supports original bill and opposes senate amendment.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 21-0, HOUSE passes, SENATE COMMITTE votes OTP 5-0 with amendment, SENATE passes,
Signed into Law by Governor
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 2/19.
HB 481 – establishing the office of right-to-know ombudsman
SPONSORS: Rep. DiLorenzo, Rock. 17; Rep. Langley, Hills. 8; Rep. G. Sanborn, Graf. 6; Rep. Hopper, Hills. 2; Rep. Cushing, Rock. 21; Rep. M. Smith, Straf. 6; Rep. Weyler, Rock. 13; Rep. Ulery, Hills. 37; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 16-5, Finance Committee votes OTP with Amendment 21-0
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 1/26.
Please write to your legislator and ask them to support the above bills.
Additionally, these additional bills have been introduced:
HB 83 – prohibiting non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements involving a governmental unit
SPONSORS: Rep. Berch, Ches. 1; Rep. Schultz, Merr. 18; Rep. M. Smith, Straf. 6; Rep. Sylvia, Belk. 6; Rep. Meuse, Rock. 29; Rep. McGuire, Merr. 29; Rep. Amanda Bouldin, Hills. 12; Rep. Stevens, Hills. 34; Rep. DiLorenzo, Rock. 17
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 20-1, House passes, Senate COMMITTEE votes ITL 4-1, Senate votes ITL 24-0
HB 125 – relative to post-arrest photo distribution by law enforcement officers SPONSORS: Rep. Klein-Knight, Hills. 11; Rep. Bouchard, Hills. 11; Rep. Roy, Rock. 32
COMMITTEE votes OTP 19-2, HOUSE passes, SENATE COMMITTEE votes OTP, SENATE votes to rerefer to Committee
HB 206 – collective bargaining negotiations must be done in public session
SPONSORS: Rep. L. Turcotte, Straf. 4; Rep. Nunez, Hills. 37; Rep. Cordelli, Carr. 4; Rep. M. Moffett, Merr. 9
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 11-10, House votes ITL 189-163
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 2/19.
HB 216 – allow meetings to be held electronically
SPONSORS: Rep. Weber, Ches. 1; Rep. Porter, Hills. 1; Rep. Walz, Merr. 23
RTKNH opposes this bill as written but will support if amended as suggested by RTKNH.
COMMITTEE votes ITL 11-10
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 2/19.
HB 232 – restrict nonpublic sessions on property purchase/sale to discussion of cost only
SPONSORS: Rep. Hough, Belk. 3; Rep. Comtois, Belk. 7; Rep. O’Hara, Belk. 9; Rep. Binford, Graf. 15; Rep. Johnson, Belk. 3; Rep. Bordes, Belk. 3; Rep. Baldasaro, Rock. 5; Rep. Sylvia, Belk. 6; Rep. Trottier, Belk. 6
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 11-10, HOUSE passes 183-164, SENATE COMMITTEE votes 5-0 to rerefer to Committee
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 1/26.
HB 406 – allow public to observe processing and counting of absentee ballots
SPONSORS: Rep. Love, Rock. 6; Rep. Prudhomme-O’Brien, Rock. 6; Rep. Pitre, Straf. 2; Rep. Wallace, Rock. 12
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes ITL 20-0
HB 471 – makes police disciplinary hearings public (similar to SB 41)
SPONSORS: Rep. Roy, Rock. 32; Rep. M. King, Hills. 33; Rep. Stevens, Hills. 34; Rep. Potucek, Rock. 6; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Bixby, Straf. 17; Rep. Welch, Rock. 13; Rep. Bordenet, Ches. 5; Rep. Moran, Hills. 34; Rep. Frost, Straf. 16; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 20-0, HOUSE passes, Senate COMMITTEE votes OTP w/ Amendment 5-0, Senate passes 24-0
Signed in Law by Governor
HB 480 – make ballots public records
SPONSORS: Rep. Edwards, Rock. 4; Rep. O’Hara, Belk. 9
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes to retain
HB 566 – minutes sealed related to purchase/sale of property would be public after 1 year
SPONSORS: Rep. Yokela, Rock. 33; Rep. Yakubovich, Merr. 24
RTKNH supports this bill with an Amendment.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 11-10, HOUSE passes w/Amendment 179-165, SENATE COMMITTEE votes OTP 5-0, SENATE passes with Amendment which removes language related to RSA-91A. No longer tracking this bill.
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 1/26.
HB 630 – allow meetings to be held electronically
SPONSORS: Rep. McGuire, Merr. 29; Rep. P. Schmidt, Straf. 19; Rep. Hatch, Coos 6; Rep. Schuett, Merr. 20; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17
RTKNH opposes this bill. See our position on HB 216 which is a similar bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 20-1 with Amendment which removes language related to RSA-91A, HOUSE passes. No longer tracking this bill.
House Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 2/19.
SB 39 – exempt law enforcement officer personnel records from public access
SPONSORS: Sen. Carson, Dist 14
RTKNH strongly opposes this bill.
COMMITTEE votes to retain
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 1/19.
SB 41 – makes police disciplinary hearings public (similar to HB 471)
SPONSORS: Sen. French, Dist 7; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17
RTKNH supports this bill.
COMMITTEE votes OTP 5-0, SENATE passes 23-1, HOUSE COMMITTEE votes to retain
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Video 1/19. Start at 1hour 49 minutes.
SB 95 – study committee on remote meetings
SPONSORS: Sen. Daniels, Dist 11
RTKNH supports this bill.
SENATE passes 24-0, HOUSE COMMITTEE votes OTP 12-9
TAKE ACTION:
Please write to your legislator and ask them to take the same position as RTKNH.
Submit your position and testimony to the legislative committee hearing the bill.
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Committee Hearings: House Senate
Bills or LSRs can be searched here.
If you know the bill number, you can track its progress using the
NH Legislature LegiScan Bill Lookup or use the NH State Legislature Bill Search.
LegiScan search of all bills impacting RSA 91-a
National Freedom of Information Coalition – Transparency Bill Tracker
Right to Know NH 