HB159 Summary

• Emergency communications districts may not release 911 audio recordings except by court order finding that public interest outweighs privacy interests of the caller and persons involved in the call.

• Law enforcement personnel conducting investigations may access 911 audio recordings without a court order when the call is relevant to their investigation.

• Persons involved in the 911 call or their legal representatives may obtain recordings without court order by submitting an affidavit attesting to their involvement and that the recording is pertinent to a legal matter.

• Callers whose voice is on the recording, or their legal representatives if deceased or incapacitated, may obtain recordings without court order by submitting a sworn affidavit verifying their identity and the relevance to a legal matter.

• Written or electronic records detailing 911 call circumstances, response, or events kept by emergency communications districts are classified as public writings subject to inspection; districts must provide transcripts for a reasonable fee not exceeding actual transcription costs.