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Senator Ward Engle King asks committee to print bill limiting facial coverings in certain law-enforcement encounters
Summary
Senator Janie Ward Engle King introduced RS 33020, a bill aiming to restrict facial coverings by officers or others in some contacts to improve public safety; she said the draft includes numerous exceptions (medical, helmets, SCBA, undercover operations) and requested a hearing.
Senator Janie Ward Engle King (Legislative District 18) introduced RS 33020 in the Senate State Affairs committee Friday, describing it as a public-safety measure aimed at ensuring people confronted by armed, masked, or unmarked individuals can determine whether they are law enforcement.
Ward Engle King said the bill is similar to measures pending in surrounding states and seeks to prohibit facial coverings in certain encounters while enumerating many exceptions, including medical masks, self-contained breathing apparatus, motorcycle helmets and situations requiring forensic equipment or undercover work. "So we're not talking about SWAT ... we're not talking about somebody who's undercover," she said, and stressed the bill was written to carve out reasonable exceptions.
The sponsor told the committee she had spoken with officers and planned further outreach; she asked that the request be printed for a full hearing so stakeholders could provide input. The committee voted to send RS 33020 to print by voice vote.
Committee members asked whether law enforcement had been consulted; the sponsor said she had spoken to some officers and would pursue additional organized feedback as the bill proceeds toward a hearing.
RS 33020 was printed for possible hearing; no committee hearing or vote on final passage occurred during the session.
