Bill > SB459

This bill amends existing law regarding confidential communications for law enforcement personnel participating in peer support services by expanding the protections for group peer support interactions. Specifically, the bill adds a new definition for "group peer support services" and strengthens confidentiality provisions to include communications between law enforcement personnel while receiving group support from a peer support team member or mental health professional. The legislation allows disclosure of these confidential communications only under limited circumstances, such as preventing death or substantial bodily harm, obtaining crisis referral services, during consultations between peer support team members, with written consent from the law enforcement personnel, or in criminal or juvenile delinquency proceedings. The bill recognizes the importance of providing safe, confidential spaces for law enforcement personnel to discuss critical incident stress, mental health challenges, and personal issues that may arise from their demanding and potentially traumatic work, while maintaining appropriate safeguards for when disclosure might be necessary to protect individual or public safety.

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https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB459