CHAPTER 90

HB 624 - FINAL VERSION

1997 SESSION

HOUSE BILL 624

AN ACT subjecting certain payments made to public employees upon resignation, discharge, or retirement to the right-to-know law.

SPONSORS: Rep. Malcolm, Rock 22; Rep. G. Katsakiores, Rock 13

COMMITTEE: Judiciary and Family Law

ANALYSIS

This bill makes payments made in addition to regular salary and accrued vacation, sick, or other leave, paid to an employee of a public body upon the employee's resignation, discharge, or retirement, subject to the right-to-know law.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Seven

AN ACT subjecting certain payments made to public employees upon resignation, discharge, or retirement to the right-to-know law.

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

90:1 Findings. The general court hereby finds that it is essential to the conduct of public business that public bodies, in order to be accountable to the people, make available all records pertaining to payments made to employees of the public body in connection with their leaving employment that are not payments associated with an employee's salary and accrued benefits.

90:2 New Paragraph; Payments Made to Public Employees. Amend RSA 91-A:4 by inserting after paragraph I the following new paragraph:

I-a. Records of any payment made to an employee of any public body or agency listed in RSA 91-A:1-a, I-IV, or to the employee's agent or designee, upon the resignation, discharge, or retirement of the employee, paid in addition to regular salary and accrued vacation, sick, or other leave, shall immediately be made available without alteration for public inspection. All records of payments shall be available for public inspection notwithstanding that the matter may have been considered or acted upon in nonpublic session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3.

90:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

(Approved: June 3, 1997)

(Effective Date: August 2, 1997)