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State archivist and towns back funding for local records manager and public records repository
Summary
House Bill 164 would fund a local government records manager position and create an accessible repository for municipal records. State archives and municipal leaders told the committee the position would help municipalities modernize records, preserve history and improve public access.
CONCORD — The Judiciary Committee heard House Bill 164, sponsored by Representative Joe Alexander, which would fund a local government records manager within the State Archives and create a publicly accessible repository to help towns convert legacy paper records to organized electronic formats.
Ashley Miller, the New Hampshire state archivist, told the committee that many of the state’s 200+ municipalities face uneven recordkeeping resources and need outreach, training and a central repository to preserve historical records and provide public access. Miller said the bill “does not create new positions under the Secretary of State’s office, but it does fund a position that is currently unfunded” so the archives can offer hands‑on assistance and standardized digitization and metadata practices.
Deputy Secretary of State Erin Hennessy and other witnesses, including former Representative Josh Yakela and Right to Know New Hampshire volunteers, testified in support, saying the program would reduce burdens on town clerks, make searching records easier, and decrease the administrative cost of repeated right‑to‑know requests over time. Right to Know New Hampshire and NHMA both voiced support for the idea of a state resource to coordinate local digitization.
Opposition was limited. Some municipal testifiers said the program must be carefully funded and coordinated so it does not create unfunded obligations for small towns. Committee members noted the bill carried a fiscal statement; Representative Alexander said an amendment to correct an appropriation number would be filed and that the finance committee review would follow committee action.
At the end of the day the committee placed HB 164 on the calendar for further consideration and indicated it would send the bill to the Finance Committee for review of the appropriation.
