Changes effective 17 Aug 1983 by session law 1983, 279. Prior version was effective 26 Aug 1967 by session law 1967, 251.
I. For the purpose of this section, a "meeting" shall mean the convening of a quorum of the membership of a public body, as provided in section 91-A:1-a, to discuss or act upon a matter or matters over which the public body has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power.
II. All public proceedings shall be open to the public, and all persons
shall be permitted to attend any meetings of those bodies or agencies.
Except for town meetings, school district meetings and elections, no
vote while in open session may be taken by secret ballot.
Any person shall be permitted to use recording [devices, including but
not limited to, tape recorders, cameras and videotape ]equipment, at such
meetings.
Minutes of all such meetings, including names of members, persons
appearing before the bodies or agencies, and a brief description of the
subject matter discussed and final decisions shall be promptly recorded
and open to public inspection within [72]144 hours of the public meeting,
except as provided in RSA 91-A:6[ of this chapter], and shall be treated as permanent
records of any body or agency, or any subordinate body thereof, without
exception.
Except in an emergency or when there is a meeting of a legislative
committee, a notice of the time and place of each such meeting,
including an executive session, shall be posted in 2 appropriate [public ]places
or shall be printed in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or
town at least 24 hours, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, prior to
such meetings.
An emergency shall mean a situation where immediate undelayed action is
deemed to be imperative by the chairman or presiding officer of the body
or agency who shall employ whatever means are available to inform the
public that a meeting is to be held.
The minutes of the meeting shall clearly spell out the need for the
emergency meeting.
When a meeting of a legislative committee is held, publication made
pursuant to the rules of the house of representatives shall be
sufficient notice.
If the charter of any city or guidelines or rules of order of any body
or agency described in RSA 91-A:1-a requires a broader public access to
official meetings and records than herein described, such charter
provisions or guidelines or rules of order shall take precedence over
the requirements of this chapter.
I. Every citizen during the regular or business hours of all such bodies
or agencies, and on the regular business premises of such bodies or
agencies, has the right to inspect all public records, including minutes
of meetings of the bodies or agencies, and to make memoranda, abstracts,
photographic or photostatic copies of the records or minutes so
inspected, except as otherwise prohibited by statute or [section ]RSA 91-A:5[ of this chapter].
II. After the completion of a meeting of such bodies or agencies, every citizen, during regular or business hours of all such bodies or agencies, and on the regular business premises of such bodies or agencies, has the right to inspect all notes, materials, tapes or other sources used for compiling the minutes of such meetings, and to make memoranda, abstract, photographic or photostatic copies, or tape record such notes, materials, tapes or sources inspected, except as otherwise prohibited by statute or RSA 91-A:5.