Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to confidential records including booking photographs
Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Taylor (R)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 21, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 23, 2025
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Law enforcement agencies would treat booking photographs as private records that cannot be shared with the public. These photos could only be released if a court says the person is a fugitive, a danger to the public, or has been convicted of certain serious felonies. This rule does not stop different police agencies from sharing the photos with each other.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to confidential records including booking photographs.F. The bill defines “booking photograph” as a photograph or still, nonvideo image of a person generated by a law enforcement agency for identification purposes after an arrest or while the person is in the law enforcement agency’s custody. The bill provides that a booking photograph is a confidential record, but may be released, published, or disseminated for any of the following reasons: a court has determined that the person in the booking photograph is a fugitive, and releasing or disseminating the booking photograph will assist in apprehending the person; a court determines that the person is an imminent threat to an individual or to public safety; or the person is convicted of a class “A” or class “B” felony not involving a controlled substance. The bill does not apply to interagency dissemination of booking photographs between law enforcement agencies. For purposes of the bill, “conviction” does not include a deferred judgment unless the deferred judgment was subsequently revoked by the court and judgment was pronounced and a sentence was imposed.
Senate subcommittee
Named January 23, 2025. On January 29, 2025 it recommended amendment and passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
1 written public comment to its subcommittee: January 29, 2025 (1) · on the Legislature’s site
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Tried before
91st General Assembly
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.
- HF 2309 Relating to confidential records including booking photographs90th General Assembly · Approved by committee · similarCleared committee
Similar bills this General Assembly
- HF 47 Relating to confidential records including booking photographs91st General Assembly · Approved by committeeSimilar
Matched by wording or an identical title.