Bill Text: NH HB522 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to the expectation of privacy in personal information maintained by the state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-29 - Public Hearing: 03/05/2025 11:00 am Legislative Office Building 206-208 [HB522 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB522-Introduced.html
HB 522-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0398
05/08
HOUSE BILL 522-FN
AN ACT relative to the expectation of privacy in personal information maintained by the state.
SPONSORS: Rep. Erf, Hills. 28; Rep. Lynn, Rock. 17; Sen. Lang, Dist 2
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes an expectation of privacy in personal information maintained by the state.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0398
05/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to the expectation of privacy in personal information maintained by the state.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Chapter; Expectation of Privacy. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 507-H the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 507-I
EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY
507-I:1 Definitions. In this chapter:
I. “Government entity” means municipal, county state or federal department, agency board, commission, or employee, elected official, or contractor. “Government entity” shall not apply to a federal government agency to the extent that federal statute preempts such application.
II. “Personal information” means an individual’s name, date or place of birth; social
security number; address; employment history; credit history; financial and other account numbers; cellular telephone numbers; voice over Internet protocol or landline telephone numbers; location information; biometric identifiers including fingerprints, facial photographs or images, retinal scans, genetic profiles, and DNA/RNA data; or other identifying data unique to that individual.
III. “Third party providers of information and services” means individuals or organizations which collect personal information about an individual in order to provide information or services to that individual, including but not limited to cellular and land-line telephone, electric, water, and other utility services; Internet service providers; cable television providers; streaming services; social media providers; email service providers; banks and financial institutions; insurance companies; and credit card companies.
507-I:2 Expectation of Privacy in Personal Information.
I. With respect to a government entity, an individual shall have a reasonable expectation of privacy in personal information, including content and usage, given or available to third-party providers of information and services, and not available to the public. For purposes of this section, "available to the public” means personal information access to which requires neither compensation, financial or otherwise, directly or indirectly; nor membership in an affinity-based organization, such as a trade association, club, or similar organization.
II. No government entity shall, acquire, collect, retain, or use any personal information of any individual residing in New Hampshire from any third-party provider.
III. Paragraph II shall not apply to:
(a) Personal information acquired, collected, retained, or used by any state regulatory or administrative agency when such acquisition, collection, retention, or use is within the agency’s regulatory, investigative, adjudicatory, or administrative function.
(b) A warrant signed by a judge and based on probable cause has been issued or a judicially-recognized exception to the warrant requirement applies.
(c) The division of emergency services and communications when handling emergency 911 telecommunications.
(d) An emergency where the immediate danger of death or serious physical injury to an individual requires the disclosure, without delay, of personal information concerning a specific individual, telephone number, user name, or other unique identifier, and where a warrant cannot be obtained in time to prevent the identified danger.
(e) Cases where the acquisition, collection, retention or use of personal information is authorized or required by state or federal law, provided that such personal information is requested of and supplied by a third-party provider of information and services for named individuals only or, in the case of employees and/or contractors of a third-party provider of information and services, for all of its employees and/or contractors.
(f) Cases where the individual to whom personal information in the possession of third party providers of information and services pertains:
(1) Provides it to a government entity, but only for the purpose for which it is provided, including but not limited to credit card transactions and affinity programs; or
(2) Authorizes access to it by a government entity, but only for the purpose for which such authorization is granted.
(g) Inquiries by a grand jury.
IV. Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
V. A person who suffers injury as a result of a violation of this chapter shall be entitled to damages from the government entity responsible for the violation of not less than $1,000 for each such violation and an award of costs and reasonable attorney fees.
507-I:3 Action Against a Nongovernment Entity. This chapter shall not be construed to create a cause of action against a nongovernment entity for providing information to a government entity.
507-I:4 Federal Preemption. If federal law preempts any provision of this chapter, that provision shall not apply.
2 Regulation of Biometric Information; Collection of Biometric Data Prohibited. Amend RSA 359-N:2, I(c) to read as follows:
(c) Obtain, retain, or provide any individual's biometric data except as set forth in this chapter or in RSA 507-I.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026.
25-0398
1/3/25
HB 522-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to the expectation of privacy in personal information maintained by the state.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund | None | |||||
Expenditures* | Indeterminable | |||||
Funding Source | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
| ||||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
County Expenditures | Indeterminable | |||||
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Expenditures | Indeterminable | |||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation. Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf
The bill also provides that a person who suffers injury as a result of a violation of this chapter shall be entitled to damages from the government entity responsible for the violation of not less than $1,000 for each violation and an award of costs and reasonable attorney fees. This could possibly result in an increase in civil cases in the Superior Court, however, there is no way to predict how many such actions would occur so any such increase is indeterminable. The Judicial Branch has provided average cost information for civil cases in the Superior Court:
NH Judicial Branch Average Civil Case Estimates
Judicial Branch Average Cost | FY 2025 | FY 2026 |
Superior Court Complex Civil Case | $1,430 | $1,473 |
Superior Court Routine Civil Case | $535 | $552 |
Common Civil Case Fees
Superior Court Fees | As of 2/12/2020 |
Original Entry Fee | $280 |
Third-Party Claim | $280 |
Motion to Reopen | $160 |
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association
