Bill > SB1614

This bill requires state and local criminal justice agencies, which include courts and agencies involved in law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and criminal record-keeping, to share all criminal justice data and records they hold with a "bona fide researcher." A bona fide researcher is defined as an individual or organization that agrees to use the information solely for research and statistical purposes, will not identify individuals in any reports, has received approval for their research project from an institutional review board (a committee that reviews and approves research), and has security measures in place to protect confidential data. The data to be shared includes personally identifying and demographic information related to law enforcement stops, searches, seizures, arrests, charges, court dispositions, sentences, release from custody, participation in diversion or rehabilitation programs, and disciplinary actions for those under criminal sentence or correctional control. Additionally, agencies must share data that is already publicly disclosable under Tennessee law, and may share other responsive data at their discretion, all to facilitate and promote criminal justice research. The Attorney General and Reporter will provide guidance on this process by January 1, 2027, and agencies can charge reasonable fees for data retrieval, though they may waive these fees.