Reference Library

"Right to Know Law" (RSA 91-A)

• RSA 91-A Access to Public Records and Meetings
• Attorney General's Office Releases Updated Right-to-Know Memorandum
  The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has updated its comprehensive memorandum on RSA Chapter 91-A, New Hampshire's Right to Know Law, 7/29/09
• "The New Right to Know Law"
  by Cordell Johnston, LGC, for the November 7, 2008, NHPA annual meeting/fall workshop
• The Right to Know Law - New Hampshire Local Government Center – Information on:
  • Meetings
• Governmental Records
• Electronic Communications
• "Is it a Meeting?" – NH Local Government Center, October 2008
• Local Property Tax Information: Public or Not? - New Hampshire Local Government Center, June 2009, New Hampshire Town and City
• Planning Board Minutes (Brent v. Paquette)
• Dealing with E-mail Communication Under New Hampshire's Right to Know Law - July/August 2006, New Hampshire Town and City
• Final Report of the Right to Know Study Commission (Chapter 287:2, Laws of 2003), October 2004
• "Free Speech at Public Meetings - The New Hampshire Right to Know Law"
  by H. Bernard Waugh, Jr., Esq., SNHPC Planning Board Training Workshop, May 1994
  Warning: Please refer to the current statute to ensure you have the most up to date statutory references. This document, despite recent changes in the law, continues to remain available given it's valuable information found in Section II "DOES THE PUBLIC HAVE A 'RIGHT TO SPEAK' AT PUBLIC MEETINGS?"
• Recent Legislation Affecting RSA 91-A the Right-to-Know Law (2008 and 2009 Legislative Sessions):
• HB206 – relative to retention of governmental records under the right-to-know law (Chapter Law 299, 2009)
• HB210 – relative to public access to minutes of local land use boards (Chapter Law 49, 2009)
• SB189 – relative to decisions of local land use boards (Chapter Law 266, 2009) 
• HB1408 - relative to the right-to-know law (Chapter Law 303, 2008)
• Court Cases Relative to RSA 91-A the Right-to-Know Law (See the AG’s Office Memorandum above for a more exhaustive review of case law and its impacts on the state’s right –to-know laws)
  • Lambert v. Belknap County Convention, 157 N.H. 375 (2007) – Regarding filling a vacancy in an elected office
• WMUR Channel Nine v. NH Department of Fish and Game, 154 N.H. 46 (2006) – Regarding public right to access
• Hounsell v. North Conway Water Precinct, 154 N.H. 1 (2006) – Regarding invasion of privacy
• Lamy v. NH Public Utilities Commission, 152 N.H. 106 (2005) – Regarding invasion of privacy
• Hughes v. Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, 152 N.H. 276, 290 (2005)  - Regarding public right to access
• NHCLU v. City of Manchester, 149 N.H. 437 (2003) – Regarding governmental records
• Goode v. New Hampshire Office of the Legislative Budget Assistant, 148 N.H. 551 (2002) – Regarding balancing the competing interests between disclosure and non-disclosure
• Hawkins v. N.H. Department of Health and Human Services, 147 N.H. 376 (2001) – Regarding electronic records
• Union Leader Corp. v. New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, 142 N.H. 540 (1997) – Regarding access to governmental records
• Webster v. Town of Candia, 146 N.H. 430 (2001) – Regarding meetings
• Brent v. Paquette, 132 N.H. 415 (1989) – Regarding note taking and non-disclosure
• Orford Teachers Association v. Watson, 121 N.H. 118 (1981) – Regarding non-public sessions
• Gallagher v. Town of Windham, 121 N.H. 156 (1981) – Regarding proposed construction plans
• Town of Nottingham v. Harvey, 120 N.H. 889, 894-95 (1980) - Regarding the recess of a meeting until a later date
• Rochester School Board v. N.H. PELRB, 119 N.H. 45 (1979) – Regarding salary and contract information
• Lodge v. Knowlton, 118 N.H. 574, 576 (1978) – Regarding state agencies
• DiPietro v. City of Nashua, 109 N.H. 174 (1968) – Regarding the level of detail required in meeting minutes

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