Relates to prohibiting the disclosure and publication of the home address or unpublished home telephone number of any active or retired judge or prosecutor

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Karl Brabenec and 13 co-sponsors

Bans disclosure and publication of home addresses and unpublished home phone numbers for active or retired judges and prosecutors to protect their privacy and safety.

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

Summary of Bill A 3841

Bill A 3841, introduced January 30, 2025, and currently REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, would prohibit the disclosure and publication of the home address or unpublished home telephone number of any active or retired judge or prosecutor. The bill is listed as a classification: bill, with related prior-session bills noted for context.

Purpose and Intent

Protect the privacy and safety of judicial and prosecutorial officials by restricting the public disclosure and dissemination of their home contact information.

Address concerns about safety risks, stalking, harassment, or targeted wrongdoing directed at judges and prosecutors.

Key Provisions (as indicated by the title)

Prohibition on disclosure: The bill would bar the release of home addresses and unpublished home telephone numbers for all active or retired judges and prosecutors.

Prohibition on publication: In addition to disclosure, the bill would prevent publication of such information, likely by media outlets and other public-facing platforms.

Scope: Applies to active and retired judges and prosecutors (no distinction stated in the provided summary, but the bill’s text would define applicable positions and entities).

Definitions and Mechanisms (based on typical framework; exact text not provided)

The specific definitions of terms like “home address” and “unpublished home telephone number” would be clarified in the bill’s text.

Enforcement mechanisms, penalties, and any required redaction or data-protection processes are not detailed in the information provided.

It is likely that the bill would outline who is responsible for compliance (state agencies, records custodians, media publishers, etc.) and any exemptions or carve-outs.

Affected Parties and Impact

Directly affects individuals who are active or retired judges or prosecutors.

Could impact public agencies that maintain or publish contact information, as well as journalists and media organizations that publish public records.

Balances privacy and safety with transparency and public-right-to-know considerations; potential tension with existing open-records or public-information laws.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduced: January 30, 2025.

Status: Referred to Governmental Operations (no further action listed in the provided information).

No specific effective date, transition provisions, or deadlines are provided here.

Related Legislation

Related bills from prior sessions: A 11153, A 3089, A 2150. These may reflect ongoing interest in protecting officials’ personal contact information.

Next Steps / What to Watch

The text of A 3841 will clarify definitions, enforcement, penalties, and any exemptions.

Monitor committee discussions in Governmental Operations for amendments, scope, and potential conflicts with open-records or privacy laws.

Watch for companion or related bills in prior-session counterparts for alignment or differences.

Note: This summary is based on the bill’s title and status information provided. The full bill text would be needed to confirm precise provisions, definitions, and enforcement details.