This bill mandates that grand juries must appoint a clerk to take and preserve minutes of their proceedings, which are to be delivered to the attorney general or county attorney. It establishes that a criminal defendant is entitled to access any grand jury minutes relevant to their case, changing the language from "may" to "shall" in the requirement for minute-taking. Additionally, the bill amends the chapter name of RSA 99-D to reflect that it pertains to the defense and indemnification of "certain government officers and employees," rather than just "state" officers.

Furthermore, the bill expands the scope of indemnification protections to include assistant county attorneys, county attorneys, and municipal prosecutors in matters related to complaints or investigations by professional licensing boards, committees, or regulatory agencies. This change aims to ensure that these officials are protected when acting within the scope of their official duties, provided they do not act in a wanton or reckless manner. The bill does not allocate funding for the implementation of these changes, which may lead to indeterminable increases in expenditures for both state and local governments due to the new requirements for grand jury minute-taking and the expanded indemnification provisions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 600:5, 99-D:11
HB1608 text: 600:5, 99-D:11