LAW ENFORCEMENT MISCONDUCT REPORTING S.B. 1101:
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 1101 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Senator Mary Cavanagh
Committee: Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety
CONTENT
The bill would enact the "Reporting of Law Enforcement Officer Misconduct Privacy Act" to do the following:
-- Prohibit a person from disclosing a filer's personally identifying information in a misconduct complaint filed against a law enforcement officer.
-- Specify circumstances under which a filer's personal identifying information could be disclosed.
-- Prescribe a State civil infraction and a maximum civil fine of $500 for violating the Act.
BRIEF RATIONALE
According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety, without the security of anonymity, individuals may struggle to report misconduct about a coworker or supervisor, especially in instances in which an individual must report a complaint to the person that the complaint directly pertains. Accordingly, to encourage the accurate reporting of misconduct complaints, it has been suggested to protect a complainant's identity.
Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill could have a positive fiscal impact on the State and local units of government. The bill would impose a civil fine of up to $500. Revenue collected from civil fines is used to support local libraries. Additionally, $10 of the civil fine would be deposited into the State Justice System Fund, which supports justice-related activities across State government in the Departments of Corrections, Health and Human Services, State Police, and Treasury. The Fund also supports justice-related issues in the Legislative Retirement System and the Judiciary. The amount of revenue to the State or for local libraries is indeterminate and dependent on the actual number of violations. The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local courts or the Attorney General's office.
Date Completed: 12-7-24 Fiscal Analyst: Bruce R. Baker
Joe Carrasco, Jr. Michael Siracuse
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.