Bill > SB0082

This bill creates the Judicial Protection Act, which provides comprehensive privacy protections for judges and their immediate family members by restricting the public disclosure of their personal identifying information. The bill defines "personal identifying information" expansively to include sensitive details like residential addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, vehicle identifiers, school information, and employment locations. Judges can submit a written request to public bodies and persons to prevent the public posting or display of such information, and these entities must remove the specified information within five business days. The law applies to state court judges, federal judges with a residential address in Michigan, and tribal court judges. While there are numerous exceptions for public safety alerts, news reporting, voluntary disclosure, and certain business and financial transactions, the bill allows judges to file civil actions to compel compliance and recover court costs and attorney fees if their personal information is improperly disclosed. The act is designed to be interpreted broadly to protect judges' and their families' privacy and security, with an effective date of January 1, 2027, and contingent on the passage of a related House Bill. The legislation aims to enhance the personal safety of judges by limiting access to potentially sensitive personal information that could be used to threaten or harass them.