BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1893
89R1182 MCK-D	By: Cook et al. (King)
	Economic Development
	5/2/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Under Section 552.130 of the Government Code, vehicle license plates captured on video are considered confidential, even though they are visible in the public domain on roadways. This confidentiality creates significant challenges for law enforcement agencies across the state, who spend extensive time manually redacting vehicle license plates from police dashcam footage, body-worn cameras, and building surveillance recordings.

Redacting just one hour of video footage can take between five to ten hours, as current redaction software is insufficient, especially for footage with constant movement, such as body-worn camera recordings. For example, Arlington PD estimates that 80 percent of dashcam footage requires redaction. Due to the complexity of redacting body-worn camera footage, skilled specialists are often required to ensure accuracy, as automatic redaction tools do not adequately handle the movement and close-ups that are common in such recordings.

These time-consuming and costly redactions present a serious issue for agencies, particularly those with limited or no redaction capabilities. Agencies without the proper tools or resources may be forced to withhold video footage, including critical evidence like witness statements or footage of accidents, which restricts public access and transparency. Furthermore, agencies may need to seek an attorney general's ruling to release footage containing redacted license plates, placing an additional burden on government resources and further limiting access to publicly visible information.

H.B. 1893 amends Section 552.130 of the Government Code and Section 730.007 of the Transportation Code to clarify that license plates captured in law enforcement video footage are not considered confidential, are not required to be redacted, and may be disclosed in a Texas Public Information Act (PIA) request.

H.B. 1893 amends current law relating to the disclosure under the public information law of a motor vehicle license plate number captured in a video recording obtained or maintained by a law enforcement agency.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 552.130, Government Code, by adding Subsection (f), as follows:

(f) Provides that the license plate number of a motor vehicle captured visually or audibly in a video recording obtained or maintained by a law enforcement agency is not confidential under Section 552.130 (Exception: Confidentiality of Certain Motor Vehicle Records) or Chapter 730 (Motor Vehicle Records Disclosure Act), Transportation Code, and is authorized to be included in a video recording disclosed under Section 552.021 (Availability of Public Information). Provides that this subsection does not preclude a law enforcement agency from asserting other exceptions to the disclosure of the information under Chapter 552 (Public Information).

SECTION 2. Amends Section 730.007, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (h), as follows:

(h) Authorizes a law enforcement agency to release a video recording obtained or maintained by the law enforcement agency that includes the license plate number of a motor vehicle captured visually or audibly in the video in response to a request for public information under Chapter 552, Government Code. Provides that the law enforcement agency is not required to redact any license plate numbers before releasing the video.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.