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Committee advances bill letting non‑Tennessee residents request their law‑enforcement records
Summary
The State and Local Government Committee approved House Bill 19‑11 after debate and a legal opinion clarified current law. Sponsor Representative Shaw says the bill would allow a non‑Tennessee citizen to obtain copies of law‑enforcement records that pertain solely to them; counsel told the panel current law requires Tennessee citizenship for public‑records requests.
Representative Shaw, sponsor of House Bill 19‑11, told the committee the amended measure "allows an individual who is not a citizen of the state of Tennessee to inspect or to receive a copy of any of their law enforcement records pertaining solely to those individuals, including but not limited to an arrest report, accident report, a crash report or citation." He stood for questions after a short explanation of the amendment.
Members pressed for clarity about who would be eligible. Representative Greg Martin asked whether the bill would include people "who are here illegally in this country." Shaw replied that the bill was not intended to cover that situation. The committee briefly recessed to hear from legal counsel. Matt Mundy of legal told the panel: "The Public Records Act specifically requires you to be a Tennessee citizen in order to make a public records request." That exchange framed members’ subsequent questions on statutory consistency and implementation.
After discussion the committee opened the electronic board; the clerk reported the vote as 20 ayes and 0 noes, and the bill was reported to the calendar and rules committee. Next steps: the bill will proceed to the floor via calendar and rules, where members may continue to debate statutory language and scope.
