Public safety officers: recording devices: release of recordings.

The Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act grants certain rights to public safety officers, as defined, including that a public safety officer is not required, as a condition of employment, to consent to the use of his or her photograph or identity as a public safety officer on the Internet for any purpose if the public safety officer reasonably believes that the disclosure may result in a threat, harassment, intimidation, or harm to the officer or the officer's family. That act authorizes a public safety officer, based upon the above-described reasonable belief, to notify a public agency to cease and desist from disclosing the officer's identity on the Internet and authorizes the officer, a district attorney, or a United States Attorney to seek an injunction prohibiting any official or unofficial use by the public agency on the Internet of the officer's photograph or identity as a public safety officer. This bill would require a public safety officer to be provided a minimum of 3 business days' notice before a public safety department or other public agency releases on the Internet any audio or video of the officer recorded by the officer. The bill authorizes the public safety officer, based upon that reasonable belief, to notify the public safety department or other public agency to cease and desist from disclosing on the Internet any audio or video of the officer that is recorded by the officer and authorizes the officer, a district attorney, or a United States Attorney to seek an injunction to prohibit the release of that audio or video on the Internet. To the extent that these new requirements would apply to local government employers, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.