This bill establishes strict safeguards to ensure the anonymity and confidentiality of individuals providing anonymous tips to law enforcement during criminal investigations. It mandates that any governmental or private entity operating a system for accepting anonymous tips must encrypt communications to protect the identity of the tipster, the means of communication, and the location of the individual, except for general location information within a municipality. Furthermore, the bill prohibits these entities from requesting identifying information from the tipster and stipulates that any communications or related reports maintained by the operators or law enforcement agencies are not considered public records and are not subject to discovery or admissible in court, except under specific circumstances involving false reports or public alarms.

Violations of these provisions, such as disclosing a tipster's identity, are classified as a fourth-degree crime, which can result in imprisonment for up to 18 months and fines up to $10,000. Additionally, if the violator is a government official acting in their official capacity, the governmental entity is liable for damages or a minimum of $25,000, along with attorneys' fees and costs. This legislation aims to encourage the reporting of crimes by ensuring that individuals can provide information without fear of exposure or retaliation.