Title I, The State and Its Government

The ballot law commission shall function within the department of state as a separate organizational entity and with all the powers and duties as heretofore provided, except as otherwise provided by law.

The secretary of state shall have available the rules and regulations affecting the issuance of licenses or certificates of registration by each professional or trade licensing or registering board or commission enumerated in RSA 5:13; he shall require from the secretary of each …

So far as practicable, and after consultation with the professional and trade licensing and registering boards and commissions within the department of state, the secretary of state shall prescribe uniform procedures for all secretarial and recording activities of said boards and…

The department of state, in accordance with the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Canada, shall provide any corporate registration information necessary under RSA 293-A for the purpose of promoting business, labor and trade opportunities with Canada.

The secretary of state shall coordinate with the governor's commission on disability to develop, prepare, and make available to businesses upon request: I. A decal suitable for posting in a front window or door stating that service animals are welcome and that misrepresentation o…

I. A domestic entity that is not a filing entity, entities formed under RSA 292, or a nonqualified foreign entity may file with the secretary of state a statement appointing an agent for service of process signed on behalf of the entity which states: (a) The name, type, and juris…

I. The following requirement shall apply to any registered agent required to be appointed by law for any corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, or any other business formation or entity required to be registered with the secret…

The deputy secretary of state before entering upon the duties of his office shall take the oaths required by article 84 of the constitution, and give bond in the sum of $10,000, with sufficient sureties to the satisfaction of the governor and council, for the faithful and punctua…

The deputy secretary of state shall exercise the duties of the office of secretary of state while the latter is absent, or unable from any cause to act.

The annual salary of the deputy secretary of state shall be that prescribed by RSA 94:1-4.

In addition to any other requirements, no contract for personal services, under which the total of payments equals $2,500 or more, in lump sum or installments, between the state and a nonresident corporation, partnership or association or between the state and a resident doing bu…

The records of all the courts of the province of New Hampshire and all the records of deeds and all the probate records, and all the original papers of the province of New Hampshire prior to the time the act for the division of said province into counties took effect, shall be ke…

The annual salary of the secretary of state shall be that prescribed by RSA 94:1-4.

The secretary of state may appoint a special deputy secretary of state who shall serve for not more than 90 days in any one fiscal year. The special deputy secretary of state appointed under this section shall exercise the duties and functions delegated to him or her, and all dut…

The secretary of state, whenever requested and paid for so doing, shall furnish copies of any of said records, and such copies, when certified by the secretary or his deputy and authenticated by the seal of the state, shall be evidence in like manner as the originals.

The fee for furnishing copies of records as provided in the preceding section shall be $1 for each page of 240 words.

The secretary of state, the deputy secretary of state, or the designee of either may affix a facsimile signature to any record or certificate required or permitted to be issued by them.

I. The secretary of state may appoint assistant secretaries of state within the limits of the appropriation made for the department of state who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary of state. The salary of an assistant secretary of state shall be set by the secretary of s…

An assistant secretary of state shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the secretary of state.

The legislature declares that a program for the efficient and economical management of state and local records will promote economy, efficiency, and integrity in the day-to-day record-keeping activities of the state government and will facilitate and expedite government operation…

This subdivision shall be known as "Archives and Records Management Act."

There shall be a division of archives and records management in the department of state, under the executive direction of the state archivist.

The secretary of state, with the approval of governor and council, shall appoint the director of the division of archives and records management, who shall be known as the state archivist and who shall be an unclassified state employee. The director shall have a minimum of a mast…

In this subdivision: I. "Agency" means any department, office, commission, board, or other unit, however designated, or the executive branch of state government. II. "Archives" means records having permanent or historical value. III. "Director" means the director of the division …

Subject to the state personnel regulations, and within the limits of available appropriations and funds, the secretary of state may employ a chief clerk and such other clerks and assistants as may be necessary. If a subordinate classified employee's salary exceeds the maximum sal…

The director shall, with due regard for the functions of the agencies concerned, and subject to the approval of the secretary of state: I. Establish standards, procedures, and techniques for effective management of state records. II. Make continuing surveys of paperwork operation…

The director shall, subject to the provisions of RSA 5:40, adopt rules governing: I. The organization of the records center. II. Transfer of records to the records center. III. The inventory of materials in the records center. IV. The means of access and reference to records and …

The state records and archives shall control all space in the state records and archives center. The department of administrative services, division of plant and property shall maintain the state records and archives center in suitable repair and condition for use by the division…

The head of each agency shall: I. Establish and maintain an active, continuing program for the economical and efficient management of the records of the agency, consistent with the rules adopted by the director and under the director's supervision. II. Make and maintain records c…

Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to divest agency heads of the authority to determine the nature and form of the records required in the administration of their several departments, or to compel the removal of records deemed necessary by them in the performance of t…

The director shall accept for storage in the state archives such local records as the municipal records board established under RSA 33-A:4-a may require. The director shall designate, with the approval of the municipal records board, a publicly accessible website for the retentio…

The director shall accept for preservation and storage any papers or records donated to the state by a member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation from their service in the United States Senate or House of Representatives. Such records shall be placed in a New Hampshire …

Within one year of leaving office, the governor, in consultation with the director, shall donate a selection of official papers and records to the state. Such records shall be placed in a New Hampshire depository selected by the governor, with the approval of the director, and sh…

Under the same provisions specified in RSA 5:33, the director shall assist and advise in the establishment of records management programs in the legislative and judicial branches of state government and shall, as required by them, provide program services similar to those availab…

All records made or received by or under the authority of or coming into the custody, control, or possession of public officials of this state in the course of their public duties are the property of the state and shall not be mutilated, destroyed, transferred, removed, or otherw…

Unless otherwise provided by law with respect to particular departments or particular records, records not having a permanent or historical value may be destroyed at the end of 4 years from their making, provided that the rules of the director, as adopted under RSA 5:40, may prov…

Subject to the limitations of the constitution, the secretary of state may transfer any of his records to the records center and he may transfer reports of state agencies to the state library.

The secretary shall arrange methodically, fold uniformly, file, and label all the papers in his office belonging to the state, preserve the same carefully, and give copies thereof, duly authenticated, whenever required and paid for such copies.

The secretary of state shall, during certain times within his discretion, put on public display in rooms 118 and 119 of the state house the authentic copy of the declaration of independence and bill of rights which he has in his possession. This document shall be displayed under …

The director, under the supervision of the secretary of state, shall establish a manual of uniform procedures necessary and proper to effectuate the purpose of this subdivision. Such procedures and any subsequent revisions, when approved by the governor and council, shall be bind…

All records of the Rockingham county registry of deeds recorded as Rockingham county registry of deeds volumes 101-239, inclusive, which do, in fact, contain records of transfers of land now located in other counties of the state, shall be removed by the division of archives and …

There is hereby established the state historical records advisory board composed of the state archivist who shall be chairman of the state historical records advisory board and at least 7 members to be appointed by the governor and council. The term of office for each of said app…

A majority of the appointed members of the board shall be persons of recognized professional qualifications and experienced in the administration of historical records or in a field of research which makes extensive use of such records. The composition of the board shall be as br…

The members of the state historical records advisory board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed their reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under this subdivision.

The state historical records advisory board shall serve as a central advisory body for historical records, planning for projects developed and carried out under the program established under RSA 5:25 in the state and in compliance with the National Historical Publications and Rec…

The state historical records advisory board is authorized to cooperate with cities, towns, private groups, and institutions in the state and with agencies of state government, with respect to matters of interest in collecting and preserving historical records.