Bill > AB847

This bill would expand access to confidential peace officer and custodial officer personnel records by granting civilian law enforcement oversight boards and county inspector generals the ability to review these previously restricted documents during investigations of officer conduct. The bill specifies that these oversight entities must maintain the confidentiality of the records and can conduct closed sessions to review them. Currently, such records are generally confidential and can only be accessed through specific legal discovery processes, but this legislation would create new exceptions for civilian oversight bodies. The bill also incorporates potential amendments from other related bills (AB 1178 and AB 1388) depending on the order and timing of their enactment, which creates a complex set of conditions for the bill's implementation. Importantly, the expanded access is limited to official oversight investigations and requires the receiving entities to protect the sensitive nature of the personnel records, balancing transparency with the need to protect individual officers' privacy.

Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB847