HB 1002 is heading to the New Hampshire floor this Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, and could pass. The bill would impose a fee for Right To Know Requests of up to $25 per hour of employee time to, “make the record available to the requestor, including time to search, retrieve, duplicate, redact, and otherwise make the record available for the requestor.”

In short, this could make RTK requests cost-prohibitive and, if abused, could be used as a way to delay and/or deter RTK requests.

Along with the New England First Amendment Coalition and the Granite State News Collaborative, we are strongly encouraging all New Hampshire publications to write and/or publish an op-ed opposing this bill on or before Wednesday, Jan. 31. NEFAC has written a letter opposing the bill (link below) that you can use for reference or anyone can write their own op-ed to run. We will be sending copies of what others are running as we receive them.

Below are some links to additional information on the bill and opposition to it:

Here are some quotes you can use for op-eds if you need them:

“House Bill 1002 is a monumental step in the wrong direction. If enacted, it will discourage and prevent the citizenry of New Hampshire from gaining access to public records. The purpose of our Right to Know Law is to provide those in New Hampshire with the greatest possible public access to the work of our government and to help us keep those in government accountable for their actions. This bill would ensure the opposite result.” — Gregory V. Sullivan, President of the New England First Amendment Coalition

“We are concerned that the House Judiciary Committee’s vote today on HB1002 will, if adopted by the House, deter critical ‘Right-to-Know’ requests, undermine government transparency, and give government agencies another tool to obstruct providing information to taxpayers. New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know law has exposed police misconduct, how various agencies regulate schools, and how our laws are enforced. But by implementing significant fees to get this important information, many requests will never be made. The ACLU of New Hampshire—as part of a broad coalition that includes the New England First Amendment Coalition, the N.H. Press Association, the N.H. Union Leader, and the N.H. Bulletin—urges lawmakers to support government transparency and oppose this bill.” — Gilles Bissonnette, Legal Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire

Please let us know if you have any questions.