Access to Governmental Records – NH RSA 91-A
Would you like access to CCSNH public records that are unavailable on the CCSNH website? Are you looking for particular information, but are unsure whether or not a relevant record exists or is maintained by CCSNH? CCSNH officials can assist you with this process.
Governmental Records Defined
Governmental Records are defined as follows: “Governmental records mean any information created, accepted, or obtained on behalf of, any public body, or a quorum of the majority thereof, or any public agency in furtherance of its official function. Without limiting the foregoing, the term “governmental records” includes any written communications or other information, whether in paper, electronic, or other physical form, received by a quorum or majority of a public body in furtherance of its official function, whether at a meeting or outside a meeting of the body.” The term “governmental records” shall also include the term “public records.” (RSA 91-A:1-a, III)
Partial List of Exemptions to RSA 91-A:
- Records pertaining to internal personnel practices,
- Medical, welfare, library user and videotape sales or rental records,
- Confidential, commercial or financial information and any other records whose disclosure would be an invasion of privacy,
- Notes or materials made for personal use which do not have an official purpose, including notes and materials made prior to, during or after a public proceeding,
- Preliminary drafts, notes and memoranda and other documents not in their final form and not disclosed, circulated or available to quorum of a public body,
- Some law enforcement files (our office will confer with legal counsel before authorizing the release of any documents regarding law enforcement files), and
- Written legal advice.
Filing a Right to Know Request
Written requests ensure that CCSNH and the requester have a verifiable copy of the request, understand relevant timeframes and there is no ambiguity as to what is being requested.
Photocopying: $0.25 per page 8-1/2×11; $0.50 per page 8-1/2×14; $1.00 per page 11×17
Cost of a New Thumb Drive for Electronic or PDF Records
Process
Formal right-to-know requests are referred to the CCSNH Risk Management Office and overseen directly by the Director of Risk Management. The Risk Manager’s Office serves as the one point of contact for CCSNH and the source of information dissemination.
Upon the receipt of any request for any governmental record reasonably described, CCSNH will make available for inspection and copying any such governmental record within its files when such records are immediately available for such release.
If CCSNH is unable to make a governmental record available for immediate inspection and copying, it will provide a written acknowledgment of the receipt of the request, and a statement of the time reasonably necessary to determine whether the request shall be granted or denied. The written acknowledgement must be provided to the requestor within five (5) business days of receipt of the request.
If a computer, photocopying machine, or other, is used to copy the governmental record requested, the person requesting the copy may be charged the actual cost of providing the copy. Similarly, if the responsive documents are in electronic or pdf format and to be disclosed via a thumb drive, the person requesting may be asked to provide a new, unopened thumb drive.