AB 459: Peace officers: Attorney General: reports.

Existing law requires each state and local agency that employs peace officers to annually report to the Attorney General data on all stops conducted by the agencys peace officers, and requires that data to include specified information, including the time, date, and location of the stop, and the reason given to the person stopped at the time of the stop. Existing law also makes all stop data and reports public records.

This bill would revise these provisions to require each state and local agency that employs peace officers to report stop data to the Attorney General, as described above, by March 1, as specified. The bill would require those agencies to report semiannually reporting if reporting issues or unresolved errors are identified in their submissions, as specified. By imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would specify that any stop data reported by a state or local agency in an open text or narrative field only be made available from the reporting agency and not from the Attorney General. The bill would also require the Attorney General to provide all state and local agency stop data to public or private entities, as specified, for the study of racial and identity profiling by law enforcement. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.