Establishes guidelines for DAs with regard to electronic conversion of certain records, books or papers in the care or custody of DAs that are more than ten years old

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Angelino and 7 co-sponsors

Establishes guidelines for District Attorneys to digitize records over ten years old, guiding conversion, storage, and access to electronic copies.

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

Summary: Bill A 958 – Guidelines for Electronic Conversion of Older DA Records

Basic Information

Bill Number: A 958

Title: Establishes guidelines for District Attorneys (DAs) regarding electronic conversion of certain records, books, or papers in the care or custody of DAs that are more than ten years old

Status: Referred to Judiciary

Introduced: January 8, 2025

Version Content / Actions:

2025-01-08: REFERRED TO JUDICIARY (listed twice in the record)

Sponsors:

Primary: Joe Angelino
Cosponsors: John Lemondes, Angelo J. Morinello, Joe DeStefano, Karl Brabenec, David McDonough, Brian D. Miller, Keith Brown

Purpose and Scope

The bill would create a framework of guidelines for district attorneys regarding the electronic conversion (digitization) of certain records, books, or papers that are in the care or custody of DAs and are more than ten years old. The stated aim is to address how older records should be converted to electronic formats.

Key Provisions (Nature of Provisions Based on Title)

Specific textual provisions are not included in the information provided. Based on the title, anticipated areas a bill of this type would address (if enacted) might include:

Standards for digitization of records, including image quality, metadata, and indexability.
Procedures governing when and how to convert eligible records, including any prerequisites or approval requirements.
Rules on the retention of original non-digital records alongside their electronic copies.
Privacy, confidentiality, and security measures for digitized records, particularly for sensitive or privileged material.
Responsibilities for ongoing maintenance, storage, access, and disaster recovery of electronic records.
Potential budgeting or funding mechanisms to support digitization efforts.
Reporting or oversight requirements to ensure adherence to guidelines.

Note: The provided materials do not include the bill’s full text or specific operative provisions, so the exact requirements, standards, timelines, and enforcement mechanisms are not enumerated here.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Primary affected entity: District Attorneys and their offices, which would implement and comply with the digitization guidelines.

Secondary effects: Public access to historical records, court system operations, and potential costs borne by DA offices or state/local governments for digitization and data preservation.

Impact considerations: If enacted, the guidelines could improve accessibility and preservation of older records while raising considerations around privacy, data security, and funding.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduction Date: January 8, 2025

Next Steps: With the bill referred to the Judiciary, its fate will depend on committee review, potential amendments, and subsequent floor action. No additional timeline is provided in the current information.

Related Legislation

Prior-session related bills: A 10046, A 1968, A 2650, A 5297, A 2502. These references suggest ongoing interest in DA record management and digitization across sessions.

Observations

The summary above reflects the information available. The full text would detail the exact standards, processes, exemptions, enforcement, and funding associated with the digitization guidelines. Readers seeking a complete understanding should review the bill’s full language when it becomes available or follow updates from the Judiciary committee.