KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to New Hampshire

HB313 • 2026

relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Joe Alexander (R), Ross Berry (R), David Love (R)
Last action
2026-01-07
Official status
HOUSE
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

What This Bill Does

  • relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-07 H

    Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 75

  2. 2025-11-19 H

    Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 11/12/2025 (Vote 17-0; CC) HC 51 P. 14

  3. 2025-11-10 H

    Subcommittee Work Session: 11/12/2025 09:50 am GP 230

  4. 2025-09-26 H

    Executive Session: 11/12/2025 10:00 am GP 230

  5. 2025-09-22 H

    Subcommittee Work Session: 09/30/2025 11:00 am GP 228

  6. 2025-08-25 H

    Full Committee Work Session: 09/10/2025 10:00 am GP 230

  7. 2025-03-10 H

    Retained in Committee

  8. 2025-03-03 H

    Executive Session: 03/10/2025 01:00 pm LOB 206-208

  9. 2025-02-20 H

    ==CANCELLED== Executive Session: 03/07/2025 10:00 am LOB 206-208

  10. 2025-01-22 H

    Executive Session: 01/30/2025 10:00 am LOB 206-208

  11. 2025-01-15 H

    Public Hearing: 01/22/2025 02:15 pm LOB 206-208

  12. 2025-01-08 H

    Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Judiciary HJ 2 P. 14

Official Summary Text

relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 313 - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION
25-0493
11/02

HOUSE BILL
313

AN ACT
relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

SPONSORS: Rep. Alexander Jr., Hills. 29; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44; Rep. Love, Rock. 13

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

-----------------------------------------------------------------

ANALYSIS

This bill allows a person who has the right to attend a public meeting to choose that the meeting remain open, even when discussion about the person in public would likely adversely affect the reputation of the person.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in
bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [
in brackets and struckthrough.
]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0493
11/02

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT
relative to non-public sessions at public meetings where discussion in public would likely affect a person's reputation.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Access to Governmental Records and Meetings; Nonpublic Sessions. Amend RSA 91-A:3, II(c) to read as follows:
(c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the public body itself, unless such person [
requests an open meeting
]
has a right to attend the meeting, at which point that person shall be given the opportunity to request an open meeting. If the person requests an open meeting, the request shall be granted
. This exemption shall extend to any application for assistance or tax abatement or waiver of a fee, fine, or other levy, if based on inability to pay or poverty of the applicant.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.