CHAPTER 283

HB 606-FN-LOCAL - FINAL VERSION

12Mar2015… 0691h

01/14/2016   3065s

1June2016... 2036CofC

2016 SESSION

15-0570

01/09

HOUSE BILL 606-FN-LOCAL

AN ACT relative to costs for public records filed electronically.

SPONSORS: Rep. Bickford, Straf 3

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill prohibits a public body or agency from charging a fee for the inspection or delivery, without copying, of governmental records.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

12Mar2015… 0691h

01/14/2016   3065s

1June2016... 2036CofC 15-0570

01/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen

AN ACT relative to costs for public records filed electronically.

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

283:1  Right-to-Know Law; Information Filed Electronically.  Amend RSA 91-A:4, IV to read as follows:

IV.  Each public body or agency shall, upon request for any governmental record reasonably described, make available for inspection and copying any such governmental record within its files when such records are immediately available for such release.  If a public body or agency is unable to make a governmental record available for immediate inspection and copying, it shall, within 5 business days of request, make such record available, deny the request in writing with reasons, or furnish written acknowledgment of the receipt of the request and a statement of the time reasonably necessary to determine whether the request shall be granted or denied.  If a computer, photocopying machine, or other device maintained for use by a public body or agency is used by the public body or agency to copy the governmental record requested, the person requesting the copy may be charged the actual cost of providing the copy, which cost may be collected by the public body or agency.  No fee shall be charged for the inspection or delivery, without copying, of governmental records, whether in paper, electronic, or other form.  Nothing in this section shall exempt any person from paying fees otherwise established by law for obtaining copies of governmental records or documents, but if such fee is established for the copy, no additional costs or fees shall be charged.

283:2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved: June 21, 2016

Effective Date: June 21, 2016