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Bill to require public collective‑bargaining sessions to be open prompts split testimony from unions, towns and public defenders
Summary
HB 400 would amend RSA 91‑A to make meetings between elected public officials and labor unions over collective bargaining public; sponsors said transparency helps taxpayers, opponents warned it could undermine compromise and lengthen bargaining cycles and noted state practice already files executed contracts.
The committee examined HB 400, a proposal from Representative Pam Brown that would remove collective bargaining negotiations from the list of non‑public meetings under RSA 91‑A and require bargaining sessions between public employers and unions to be held in public while preserving each party’s right to private strategy sessions.
Brown said the bill would increase transparency for taxpayers because labor contract language and resulting terms substantially affect local property taxes and community budgets. Citing examples such as seniority rules and staffing formulas, she told the panel she had…
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