Signed by Governor Ralph Northam

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass on a bill passed through conference that requires releasing records from closed criminal investigations.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the following records to be released (Sec. 1): 

• Adult arrestee photographs taken during the initial intake following the arrest and as part of the routing booking procedure;

• Information relative to the identity of any individual who is arrested and charged, and the status of the charge, with the exception of juveniles; and 

• Records of completed unattended death investigations to the parent, spouse, or the most immediate family member of the decedent, provided the person is not a person of interest or suspects.

• Prohibits the following records from being released, except in disclosures by the custodian, in their discretion (Sec. 1):

• Criminal investigative files;

• Reports submitted in confidence to state and local law-enforcement agencies, investigators, and campus police departments;

• Records of law-enforcement agencies relating to neighborhood watch programs that include personal information of someone in the watch group;

• All records of persons imprisoned in penal institutions in the Commonwealth;

• Records of law-enforcement agencies;

• All records of adult persons under investigation or supervision by a local pretrial services agency, investigation, probation, supervision or monitoring by a probation services agency, or investigation, probation, and supervision by state probation and parole services;

• Any portions of any records containing any undercover operations;

• Identities of any victims, witnesses, or undercover officers, or investigative techniques or procedures;

• Records of background investigations; and

• Any call records made to emergency services.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires releasing records from closed criminal investigations.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the following records to be released (Sec. 1): 

• Adult arrestee photographs taken during the initial intake following the arrest and as part of the routing booking procedure;

• Information relative to the identity of any individual who is arrested and charged, and the status of the charge, with the exception of juveniles; and 

• Records of completed unattended death investigations to the parent, spouse, or the most immediate family member of the decedent, provided the person is not a person of interest or suspects.

• Prohibits the following records from being released, except in disclosures by the custodian, in their discretion (Sec. 1):

• Criminal investigative files;

• Reports submitted in confidence to state and local law-enforcement agencies, investigators, and campus police departments;

• Records of law-enforcement agencies relating to neighborhood watch programs that include personal information of someone in the watch group;

• All records of persons imprisoned in penal institutions in the Commonwealth;

• Records of law-enforcement agencies;

• All records of adult persons under investigation or supervision by a local pretrial services agency, investigation, probation, supervision or monitoring by a probation services agency, or investigation, probation, and supervision by state probation and parole services;

• Any portions of any records containing any undercover operations;

• Identities of any victims, witnesses, or undercover officers, or investigative techniques or procedures;

• Records of background investigations; and

• Any call records made to emergency services.

Full Bill Text