SB397

Senate Bill 397 mandates the protection of personal information belonging to railroad crew members involved in fatal railroad accidents. The bill requires that any public records related to these fatalities, as defined by the Freedom of Information Act of 1967, must redact the personal information of the involved rail crew members. Certain entities, including railroad companies, law enforcement, state attorneys, the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and federal safety agencies, remain exempt from these redaction requirements. These exempt parties must submit written or electronic requests and may only access the information if it is necessary for their official duties. The legislative intent cited for the bill is to mitigate the risk of harassment or assault against rail employees following fatal incidents.