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HB 1243

Criminal Justice Researcher Access to Data Act; enact

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Carter Barrett and 3 co-sponsors

HB 1243 enables criminal justice researchers to request and access law enforcement and court data through established protocols to support evidence-based policy analysis.

House Second Readers
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Bill Summary · HB 1243

Legislative bill overview

HB 1243 would establish a framework allowing criminal justice researchers to access certain law enforcement and court data for legitimate research purposes. The bill creates protocols for data requests, specifies what information can be shared, and establishes safeguards to protect individual privacy while enabling evidence-based research on the criminal justice system.

Why is this important

Access to criminal justice data is crucial for researchers studying policing effectiveness, sentencing disparities, recidivism patterns, and system inequities. Currently, data access varies widely by jurisdiction and agency, making comprehensive research difficult. This bill could enable Georgia researchers and policymakers to make evidence-based decisions about criminal justice reforms while maintaining transparency about how the system operates.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy and data security concerns: Concerns that even "anonymized" data could potentially be re-identified, especially with modern data-matching techniques, raising questions about adequate safeguards
  • Law enforcement resistance: Police departments and prosecutors may worry about research findings being used to challenge their practices or that data requests create administrative burdens
  • Definition ambiguity: The bill's language regarding what qualifies as "legitimate research" and which agencies must comply could be interpreted narrowly or broadly, affecting actual access levels

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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