SENATE APPROVES shield bill for some law enforcement workers’ records.
A bill that would exempt property records of law enforcement officers from public disclosure under certain circumstances received Senate approval Thursday, its last legislative hurdle.
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act already exempts from public disclosure personal contact information — home or mobile telephone numbers, personal email addresses and home addresses — of non- elected employees of state, municipal, school and county governments, except that the custodian of the records is required to verify an employee’s city or county of residence or address on record upon request.
House Bill 1866 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R- Elm Springs, would add to the exemption the property records of a law enforcement officer as personal contact information if the officer submits in writing to the relevant county official that he requires the record to be private.
The exemption would apply only to online searchable databases made available by a county. The written request for the exemption must include the signatures of the officer’s supervisor and the “relevant department head of the law enforcement agency.” The bill, which passed 22- 6, now goes to Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R- Branch, who spoke for the bill on the Senate floor, said “a lot of misinformation” surrounded the bill.
“Nothing in the bill will prevent title searches or require any redaction of any document,” said Stubblefield, who added that the property information would be available at county offices.
Supporters say that given the current climate — in which some law enforcement officers have been ambushed — backing the bill was the least they could do because it has become too easy to look up addresses on property databases that county officials make available online.
“We need to understand the realities of social media and the Internet,” said Sen. Missy Irvin, R- Mountain View. “There are apps right now that [ capture] the searchable information of law enforcement officers to the app so people can go and target law enforcement officers’ homes for harassment.”
For Sen. John Cooper, R- Jonesboro, the bill was personal.
“If you have family in law enforcement, the location where people live, their phone numbers and personal information is a significant risk,” he said. “I thought about what my son- in- law does. He’s a federal agent. He’s very protective of his personal information.”
Under the bill, the property records will be unavailable for two years unless the law enforcement officer submits “appropriate documentation” to extend the exemption.
Another section of the bill would create a “focus group” that has until May 1, 2018, to develop a standardized form for officers to use to request the exemption.
The House speaker would appoint the group members to consist of a circuit court county clerk, a county assessor, a county tax recorder, a representative of the banking industry, someone from a title company and an active law enforcement officer.