Provides relative to access to personal information of protected individuals (EG SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

House Bill 339 enacts Louisiana Revised Statutes 44:11.2(A)(10) to add current law enforcement officers to the statutory category of protected individuals whose personal information may not be published or removed from publications by public bodies or third parties without authorization. The bill operates within an existing statutory framework that permits protected individuals to request suppression or removal of specified personal information from public records and publications. By adding active law enforcement officers to the definition of protected individuals, the legislation extends the confidentiality protections that previously applied only to judges, magistrates, district attorneys, elected officials, and certain other state officials to include all current members of law enforcement agencies.

The practical effect of this legislation is to grant current law enforcement officers the ability to request that public bodies and third parties cease publication of or remove from existing publications their home addresses, home and mobile telephone numbers, personal email addresses, social security numbers, driver's license numbers, federal tax identification numbers, bank account numbers, credit or debit card numbers, license plate numbers or unique vehicle identifiers, marital records, dates of birth, their children's schools or daycares, places of worship, and the employment locations of their spouses, children, or dependents. This protection applies to law enforcement officers across all state and local agencies but does not restrict information already posted by the office of the secretary of state, which remains excluded from the confidentiality protections under existing law.

House Bill 339 operates within the broader statutory framework of Louisiana's public records law, codified primarily in Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 44, which governs access to public records and personal information held by public bodies. The legislation does not create new categories of confidential information but rather expands the class of individuals eligible to invoke existing suppression mechanisms. The bill's scope is limited to current law enforcement officers and does not extend protection to retired officers, distinguishing it from the law's treatment of judges, district attorneys, and other protected classes where both current and retired individuals receive protection. This expansion reflects legislative judgment about the heightened security risks facing active law enforcement personnel in their professional capacities.