H1855 Bill Summary

• Clarifies and expands confidentiality protections for legislative drafting requests, information requests, and supporting documents submitted to legislative employees by legislators.

• Establishes that confidential legislative communications and documents are not public records under G.S. 132-1, with exceptions for bills, resolutions, and amendments that have been introduced or offered publicly.

• Requires agency employees receiving requests from legislative employees for fiscal notes, evaluation reports, or other assistance to keep such requests and responsive documents confidential and disclose them only as necessary to respond to requests.

• Adds new G.S. 120-135 allowing legislative employees hired by or assigned to individual members to be treated as that member for purposes of legislative confidentiality protections.

• Creates criminal penalty of Class 3 misdemeanor effective December 1, 2010, for any person (other than current employees subject to disciplinary action) who willfully violates confidentiality provisions.