Laws of the State of New Hampshire 1966 and 1967, p. 317

CHAPTER 251.

AN ACT PERMITTING FREEDOM OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS AND

PROCEEDINGS.

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

251:1 New Chapter. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 91 the
following new chapter:

Chapter 91-A

Access to Public Records

91-A:1 Definition of Public Proceedings. The term "public proceedings"
as used in this chapter means the transactions of any functions
affecting any or all citizens of the state by any board or commission of
any state agency or authority, and all meetings of any board, commission,
agency, or authority, of any county, town, municipal corporation, school
district, or other political subdivision.

91-A:2 Meetings Open to the Public. All public proceedings are
open to the public, and all persons are permitted to attend any meetings
of these bodies or agencies, and minutes of such meetings shall be promptly
recorded and open to public inspection, except as provided by section
5 of this chapter. If the charter of any city or guide lines set down by
the appointing authority requires broader public access to official meetings
and records than herein described, such charter provisions or guide
lines shall take precedence over the requirements of this chapter.

91-A:3 Executive Sessions. I. Nothing contained in this chapter
shall be construed to prevent these bodies or agencies from holding executive
sessions but any decisions made during any executive session must
be recorded and made available for public inspection promptly, and no
ordinances, orders, rules, resolutions, regulations, contracts, appointments
or other official actions shall be finally approved in executive session.
The conditions of this section do not apply to executive sessions of the
committees of the general court.

II. Exceptions. A body, or agency, may exclude the public when
it is considering or acting upon the following matters:

(a) The dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee
or the disciplining of such employee, or the investigating of any
charges against him, unless the employee affected requests an open meeting.

(b) The hiring of any person as a public employee.

(c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would be likely to affect
adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the body
itself.

(d) Consideration of the acquisition, sale, or lease of land which,
if discussed in public, would be likely to benefit a party, or parties, whose
interests are adverse to those of the general community.

91-A:4 Minutes and Records Available for Public Inspection. Every
citizen during the regular or business hours of all such bodies or agencies,
and on the regular business premises of such bodies or agencies, has
the right to inspect all public records, including minutes of meetings of
the bodies or agencies, and to make memoranda abstracts, photographic
or photostatic copies, of the records or minutes so inspected, except as
otherwise prohibited by statute or section 5 of this chapter.

91-A:5 Exemptions. The records of the following bodies are exempted
from the provisions of this chapter:

I. Grand and petit juries.

II. Parole and pardon boards.

III. Personal school records of pupils.

IV. Records pertaining to internal personnel practices, confidential,
commercial, or financial information, personnel, medical, welfare,
and other files whose disclosure would constitute invasion of privacy.

91-A:6 Exclusion. This chapter shall not apply to chapter 282 of the
Revised Statutes Annotated, relative to employment security.

91-A:7 Violation. Any person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter
may petition the superior court for injunctive relief. The courts shall
give proceedings under this chapter priority on the court calendar.

251:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect sixty days after its
passage.

[Approved June 27, 1967.]
[Effective date August 26, 1967.]