S.B. No. 15 introduces new provisions regarding the maintenance and confidentiality of department files by law enforcement agencies in Texas. The bill mandates that the head of a law enforcement agency or their designee must maintain a "department file" for each licensed employee, which includes any documents related to the employee that are not part of their personnel file. This includes records of alleged misconduct that were not substantiated. The bill also allows agencies to review department files from previous employers when hiring a new license holder and requires that the contents of these files be provided to the commission during investigations.

Furthermore, the bill establishes strict confidentiality for department files, stating that they can only be disclosed as required by law. It prohibits law enforcement agencies from releasing any information from these files to outside parties, directing such requests to the agency head or their designee instead. The department files are classified as confidential and are not subject to disclosure under the Government Code. The act is set to take effect 91 days after the conclusion of the legislative session.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: ()
Senate Committee Report: ()