State Senate OKs 911 Privacy Bill

The Georgia state Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would keep certain 911 logging tapes confidential, part of a growing trend among state legislatures to provide some measure of privacy for those who dial the emergency number. The Georgia legislation was sparked by a recent request by a Hustler magazine freelance writer for crime scenes photos from a 2008 murder where the female victim was found nude and dismembered. A judge has denied the writer’s request. The Georgia legislation follows similar bills introduced in other states intended to protect the families and friends of victims from hearing the final words of their loved ones replayed on radio and TV. In general, the bills are being opposed by media groups and open records advocates, who say that listening to 911 calls can provide valuable information about how emergency services handled a critical incident. The Georgia House Bill 1322 was specifically introduced to exempt crime scene photos from the state’s open records law, but a legislator  introduced an amendment adding 911 calls to the list of exempted records. Under the bill, “audio or video recordings of the personal suffering of a person in physical pain or distress” would be exempt from the state’s open records law. The House passed a different version of the bill, and a committee will reconcile the differences before final House-Senate votes on the bill. Download (pdf) the full bill here.