This bill extends the office of the right-to-know ombudsman, including its complaint process, appeal, enforcement, and rulemaking, for an additional two years, changing 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 at no charge 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 will not violate RSA 311:7, nor will it subject the individual to injunctive relief or investigation under RSA 311:7-a or RSA 311:7-b.

Additionally, the bill modifies the ombudsman's authority regarding fee awards, prohibiting the ombudsman from awarding reimbursement for attorney's fees. The estimated fiscal impact includes expenditures of $170,706 for FY 2026 and $175,948 for FY 2027, with no additional costs in FY 2025 or FY 2028. The bill is expected to result in an indeterminable revenue loss to 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 filed with the Ombudsman’s Office. Appeals to the Superior Court will not incur additional fees.

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