Bill Text: NH HB313 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Hampshire House Bill 313

Introduced

Bill Title: Relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Executive Session: 01/30/2025 10:00 am Legislative Office Building 206-208 [HB313 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB313-Introduced.html

HB 313 - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

25-0493

11/02

HOUSE BILL 313

AN ACT relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

SPONSORS: Rep. Alexander Jr., Hills. 29; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44; Rep. Love, Rock. 13

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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ANALYSIS

This bill allows a person who has the right to attend a public meeting to choose that the meeting remain open, even when discussion about the person in public would likely adversely affect the reputation of the person.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-0493

11/02

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Access to Governmental Records and Meetings; Nonpublic Sessions. Amend RSA 91-A:3, II(c) to read as follows:

(c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the public body itself, unless such person [requests an open meeting] has a right to attend the meeting, at which point that person shall be given the opportunity to request an open meeting. If the person requests an open meeting, the request shall be granted. This exemption shall extend to any application for assistance or tax abatement or waiver of a fee, fine, or other levy, if based on inability to pay or poverty of the applicant.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.