Senate approves SB14 to standardize police personnel files; critics say bill limits public access

Senators passed Committee Substitute Senate Bill 14 after extended floor debate about public-records access to law enforcement personnel materials.

Senator King, the bill's author, said the measure implements a model personnel policy developed through the Sunset review and TCOLE's guidance and would require agencies to maintain two categories of records: a personnel file containing "substantiated misconduct complaints" that resulted in discipline, commendations and periodic evaluations (which would be subject to open-records requests), and a departmental file containing other records, including unsubstantiated complaints and background investigations, which would normally be withheld from routine public release.

"If you discipline me, fair enough, that's that information is available to the public," King…