HB598 "Trust in Law Enforcement Act"; require Department of Public…

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and therefore has no official status or effective date.

Trust in Law Enforcement Act

This bill requires the Department of Public Safety to create a searchable database on law enforcement officers' job performance and misconduct, which must be published by January 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

Creates a searchable database for the public to access information on law enforcement officer conduct and performance.
Requires this database to be published on the Department of Public Safety's website by January 1, 2027.
Specifies types of information that must be included in the database, such as untruthfulness, training failures, certification revocations, terminations for cause, resignations or retirements under investigation, and criminal investigations.
Allows law enforcement officers to request a review of their information in the database if they believe it is incorrect.
Requires the Office of Standards and Training to update the database monthly.

Who It Names or Affects

The public who will have access to the database.
Law enforcement agencies that must report information about officers' performance and misconduct.
Law enforcement officers whose records may be included in or reviewed from the database.

Terms To Know

Untruthfulness: A law enforcement officer knowingly making a false statement or omitting material facts on official criminal justice records, while testifying under oath, or during an internal affairs investigation.
Continuing education courses: Training programs that officers must complete to maintain their certification and stay updated with new laws and practices.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass in the session it was introduced.
It is unclear how many law enforcement agencies will comply fully with reporting requirements.
There are no guarantees about the accuracy or timeliness of data in the database.

Official Summary Text

"Trust in Law Enforcement Act"; require Department of Public Safety to create public database on officer misconduct.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

H. B. No. 598 *HR43/R1587* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Judiciary B;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Summers

HOUSE BILL NO. 598

AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "TRUST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT"; TO 1
REQUIRE THE OFFICE OF STANDARDS AND TRAINING WITHIN THE DIVISION 2
OF PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO 3
CREATE A SEARCHABLE DATABASE THAT ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS 4
INFORMATION REGARDING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS' JOB PERFORMANCE; 5
TO REQUIRE THE DATABASE TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE 6
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY BY JANUARY 1, 2027; TO SPECIFY CERTAIN 7
INFORMATION RELATING TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER'S CONDUCT AND 8
PERFORMANCE WHICH MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE DATABASE; TO AUTHORIZE A 9
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO REQUEST A REVIEW OF DATABASE 10
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE OFFICER; TO REQUIRE INFORMATION IN THE 11
DATABASE TO BE ACCURATE AND UPDATED AT LEAST MONTHLY; AND FOR 12
RELATED PURPOSES. 13
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 14
SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited 15
as the "Trust in Law Enforcement Act." 16
(2) The Office of Standards and Training within the Division 17
of Public Safety Planning of the Department of Public Safety shall 18
create and maintain a searchable database that allows the public 19
to access certain information regarding a law enforcement 20
officer's job performance. The database must be implemented and 21
published on the website of the Department of Public Safety no 22
later than January 1, 2027. The database must include information 23
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relating to a law enforcement officer's conduct and performance, 24
including the officer's: 25
(a) Untruthfulness. For purposes of this section, the 26
term "untruthfulness" means a law enforcement officer knowingly 27
made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or 28
knowingly omitted a material fact on an official criminal justice 29
record, while testifying under oath, or during an internal affairs 30
investigation or administrative investigation and disciplinary 31
process. 32
(b) Three (3) or more failures to follow the Board on 33
Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training educational and 34
training requirements or to complete applicable continuing 35
education courses within a period of ten (10) consecutive years. 36
(c) Revocation of the certification by the Board on Law 37
Enforcement Officer Standards and Training, including the basis 38
for the revocation. 39
(d) Termination for cause by the law enforcement 40
officer's employer unless the termination is overturned or 41
reversed by an appellate process. A notation must be placed next 42
to the officer's name during the pendency of any appellate 43
process. 44
(e) Resignation or retirement while under investigation 45
by the law enforcement officer's employing law enforcement agency, 46
a district attorney or the Attorney General on a matter that could 47
result in the officer being entered into the database. 48
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(f) Resignation or retirement following an incident 49
that leads, within six (6) months following the law enforcement 50
officer's resignation or retirement, to the opening of an 51
investigation that could result in the officer being entered into 52
the database. 53
(g) Being the subject of a criminal investigation for a 54
crime that could result in revocation or suspension of 55
certification or the filing of criminal charges. The 56
investigating agency shall notify the Office of Standards and 57
Training of the investigation or filing of criminal charges as 58
soon as practicable, so long as the notification is unlikely to 59
disrupt or impede an investigation. 60
(3) Law enforcement agencies shall report to the Office of 61
Standards and Training the information required in this section in 62
a format established by the office. 63
(4) A law enforcement officer may request a review of 64
information in the database relating to the officer. Upon the 65
receipt of evidence that supports a determination by the Office of 66
Standards and Training that the information in the database 67
relating to the officer is erroneous, the office must remove the 68
officer's name from the database immediately. 69
(5) The Office of Standards and Training shall update 70
information in the database on no less than a monthly basis and 71
shall make reasonable efforts to ensure data is current and 72
accurate. The Department of Public Safety does not guarantee full 73
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ST: "Trust in Law Enforcement Act"; require
Department of Public Safety to create public
database on officer misconduct.
accuracy and timeliness of data, makes no warranty as to content 74
accuracy, and assumes no liability for content errors or 75
omissions. 76
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified as a new 77
section in Chapter 6, Title 45, Mississippi Code of 1972. 78
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 79
and after July 1, 2026. 80