Conference committee reaches multiple tentative agreements on criminal-justice bills, rejects Titus warrant amendment

Madam Chair of the Committee on Judiciary convened the March 26 Senate–House conference meeting to review pending conference positions on a package of criminal‑justice and related bills.

The committee reached several tentative agreements to move bill contents into other bill “shells,” approved two conference offers, and declined an amendment from Senator Titus that would have required search warrants for certain public‑right‑of‑way and private‑property surveillance. Committee staff prepared balloon amendments and conference committee reports for signatures before members dispersed for caucus.

The meeting began with a staff recap of items on the conference chart and the status of several bills. Staff reported that Senate Bill 30 would be removed from the chart because conferees changed and the bill was being used for technical purposes. Staff also said the contents of Senate Bill 84 and Senate Bill 156 were to be moved into House Bill 2347, leaving the Senate bills as shells.

A central point of debate involved Senate Bill 157 and an amendment offered by Senator Titus that would have required law enforcement to obtain a search warrant before using certain cameras or recording devices in public rights of way or on private property that abuts a right of way. Senator Titus said the amendment sought “checks and accountability” and expressed concern about expanding search‑warrant authority without stronger Fourth Amendment protections. The committee discussed the amendment but did not accept it. As one committee member put it, “that is not an amendment that we're going to be able to agree to for various reasons.” The committee agreed to leave the matter for further consideration next session or if the bill later lands in judiciary.

The committee also discussed House Bill 2131 (the “jailhouse witness” bill), which staff summarized as requiring prosecutors to disclose intended use of jailhouse informants and to keep a database of offers made to those informants. A Senate member noted the bill had been heard in Senate Judiciary but lacked time for further work; the committee did not approve placing the House bill into a Senate shell during this session.

On Senate Bill 186, the conferees agreed to a package change: remove the contents of House Bill 2401, add the contents of Senate Bill 157, and add the contents of House Bill 2183. After a brief caucus, the body reported acceptance of that offer.

The conference accepted a House offer to add the contents of Senate Bill 53 (county law‑library provisions) into Senate Bill 204; committee staff said the House balloon amendment had coordinated court and law‑enforcement language about sealing, subpoenas, and returns of service.

House Bill 2347 (theft and related crimes) reached tentative agreement that the House would accede to the Senate amendments about theft, add the contents of Senate Bill 156 (laser‑pointer offense) and Senate Bill 84 (gift‑card/financial‑card provisions), and that criminal provisions would be made effective upon publication in the statute book unless a conferee objected. No objection was voiced at the meeting.

On House Bill 2164 the parties discussed four specific amendment points that staff had prepared as a balloon amendment: lowering severity levels two levels, lowering victim‑age threshold from 18 to 16, exemptions for entering school property for religious services, and an exemption for persons entering for instruction. Staff said the proposal had strong support in the Senate and had passed the Senate floor 38–2; the Senate asked the House to reconsider those four items.

Before adjourning, staff was directed to prepare conference committee reports reflecting the items finalized at the meeting so signatures could be collected when members reconvened. The committee agreed to meet again at 11:00 a.m. in the same room if possible.

Summary of outcomes and next steps: the committee left several items as tentative and documented them for conference reports; it accepted at least two offers (SB186 package change and adding SB53 to SB204); it did not accept Senator Titus’s warrant amendment to SB157 and did not move HB2131 into a Senate shell at this time. Staff will draft conference committee reports and balloon amendments as discussed for later signature and finalization.