HB111 Extending the position of right-to-know ombudsman for 2 years and exempting individuals who assist in the preparation of a right-to-know complaint at no charge from the unauthorized practice of law.
Extending the position of right-to-know ombudsman for 2 years and exempting individuals who assist in the preparation of a right-to-know complaint at no charge from the unauthorized practice of law.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Mixed
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Residents gain access to a free ombudsman complaint process instead of paying $280 court filing fees, though state costs increase by approximately $171,000-176,000 annually.
Your Community
The ombudsman office provides an accessible mechanism for residents and community organizations to challenge government records denials without navigating the court system.
Your Freedom
The bill protects citizens' right-to-know access by maintaining the ombudsman as an enforcement mechanism and explicitly permits free assistance in preparing complaints, lowering barriers to exercising transparency rights.
Status
Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 01/07/2026 House Journal 1 P. 70
Sponsor
Bob Lynn (R)
The Short Version
This bill extends New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Ombudsman office for 2 additional years (until July 2027) and allows citizens to receive free help preparing public records complaints without it being considered unauthorized law practice. The ombudsman provides a lower-cost alternative to court filings for residents seeking government records.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ NH residents seeking public records who cannot afford $280 court filing fees
- ▲ Advocacy organizations, nonprofits, and community groups pursuing government transparency
- ▲ Citizens who need free assistance preparing right-to-know complaints
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ State taxpayers funding the ombudsman office ($170,706-$175,948 annually)
- ▼ Superior Court system experiencing indeterminable but modest revenue loss from reduced filing fees
Bill statuses as of October 7, 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.