HB329 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

David StandridgeRepresentative

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Randy WoodMike BallAllen TreadawayWes LongElaine BeechKurt WallaceCharles O. NewtonAllen Farley

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Criminal justice employees, including judges, district attorneys, law enforcement officers, etc., protection against disclosure of personal information, disclosure of by State Ethics Commission prohibited, Secs. 36-25-4.3, 41-13-7 am'd.

Summary

HB329 would extend privacy protections for personal identifying information to all criminal justice employees in Alabama, not just state Merit System workers.

What This Bill Does

It adds criminal justice sector employees at any government level to the group protected from disclosing their personal identifying information on public documents without consent. State and local agencies would be barred from sharing this information on public records unless consent is given or one of the listed exceptions applies. If consent is not provided, agencies must redact the information before public release, with some limited exceptions such as legitimate government needs, news reporting, or court/ statutory filings. The bill preserves immunity and specifies an effective date as the first day of the third month after passage.

Who It Affects

• Criminal justice sector employees (e.g., judges, district attorneys, sheriffs, deputies, jailers, investigators, and other certified law enforcement personnel) – their personal identifying information would be protected from public disclosure unless they consent.
• State and local government agencies and the public-records process (including media and other requesters) – must follow redaction rules and disclose identifying information only under consent or specific, allowed exceptions.

Key Provisions

• Expands protection to include criminal justice employees at all levels of government under Section 41-13-7, not just Merit System employees.
• Defines 'Employee' to cover state employees subject to Merit System or any criminal justice/law enforcement agency in the state, including judges and honorably retired personnel.
• Defines 'Identifying Information' to include date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, financial account numbers, PINs, biometric data, fingerprints, passwords, home address/phone number, and other data that can access resources or identify a person.
• Prohibits placing or revealing identifying information on any public document without express consent, with exceptions for bona fide news organizations, legitimate government purposes, or when required by law, regulation, or court order.
• Requires redaction of identifying information from public documents if consent has not been obtained, with certain documents (court-originated, taxing authority records, liens, judgments) exempt from these restrictions.
• States that the measure does not create a new cause of action and does not waive sovereign immunity.
• Effective date: the first day of the third month following passage and Governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Employment