This bill proposes to extend the office of the right-to-know ombudsman, along with its associated complaint process, appeal, enforcement, and rulemaking, for an additional two years, moving the repeal date from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2027. It also introduces a provision that exempts individuals who assist petitioners in preparing right-to-know complaints without compensation from being considered as practicing law without authorization. Specifically, the bill amends RSA 91-A:7-b to include a new paragraph stating that such assistance does not violate RSA 311:7, thus protecting these individuals from potential legal repercussions.

Additionally, the bill modifies the ombudsman's authority regarding fee awards, explicitly prohibiting the reimbursement of attorney's fees. The fiscal impact of this legislation includes estimated expenditures of $170,706 for FY 2026 and $175,948 for FY 2027, with no additional costs anticipated for FY 2025 or FY 2028. The bill may also lead to an indeterminable revenue loss for the Superior Court due to the absence of filing fees for complaints that would otherwise be filed in court, although a $25 filing fee will apply for complaints submitted to the Ombudsman’s Office.

Statutes affected:
As Amended by the House: 91-A:7-b