HB1673: relative to the definition of "public body" under the right-to-know law.

HB 1673-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2020 SESSION

20-2582

01/03

HOUSE BILL 1673-FN

AN ACT relative to the definition of "public body" under the right-to-know law.

SPONSORS: Rep. McGuire, Merr. 29; Rep. T. Lekas, Hills. 37; Rep. Wuelper, Straf. 3

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

ANALYSIS

This bill adds all entities which receive state funding to the definition of "public body" under the right-to-know law.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20-2582

01/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

AN ACT relative to the definition of "public body" under the right-to-know law.

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

1 New Subparagraph; Right-to-Know Law; Definition of "Public Body." Amend RSA 91-A:1-a, VI by inserting after subparagraph (e) the following new subparagraph:

(f) Any private for profit or not-for-profit corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or other entity or organization for whom state funding is a material portion of its budget. For the purposes of this paragraph, a "material portion" shall mean $25,000 in one year, or 10 percent or more of the entity's income, whichever is greater.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.

LBAO

20-2582

Revised 1/13/20

HB 1673-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to the definition of "public body" under the right-to-know law.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source:

[ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ ] Other

METHODOLOGY:

This bill adds entities which receive state funding to the definition of public body under the right-to-know law. The Judicial Branch indicates the bill has the potential to add to the case load of the Branch. Such additional cases would be classified as routine equity cases in the superior court. The Branch has no information on the possible number of additional cases, but has provided cost information for an average routine equity case. The cost to the Judicial Branch of an average routine equity case in the trial court is estimated at $268.13 for FY 2021 and $279.09 for FY 2022. The Branch notes that the cost information is based on studies of judicial and clerical weighted caseload times for processing the average routine equity case. These studies are now more than fourteen years old for judicial time and over eleven years old for clerical time so the data may not have current validity. In addition, changes have occurred during that time span with respect to processing these types of cases.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Judicial Branch