Bill > HB1019

This bill amends Tennessee law to provide enhanced privacy protections for certain public officials and employees by allowing them to request confidentiality of specific personal information. The bill covers active and former sworn law enforcement officers, correctional officers, child protective services investigators, revenue collection personnel, court staff (including judges and commissioners), district attorneys, and public defenders. These individuals can submit a written request to state or local government agencies to keep their home addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, and official or employment-related photographs confidential. While these records would be maintained privately, they could still be released through a court order, subpoena, or during an active law enforcement investigation. The bill also allows local government bodies to designate a specific individual or agency to handle these confidentiality requests and ensure compliance across departments. Importantly, the legislation stipulates that the confidentiality provisions should not prevent access to otherwise public records, and confidential information should be redacted from public documents whenever possible. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, with the stated purpose of protecting the personal information of public servants who might be at risk due to their professional roles.