The Texas Senate has voted to bar law enforcement from giving the media the names of people involved in traffic accidents.
The move came on a bill to protect accident victims from being harassed by lawyers seeking to file lawsuits. But the Senate pushed it further in what would be a drastic rollback of state public records law.
Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican, says he wants to protect the families of fatal accident victims from hearing their loved one's name in the media. He said the media would still get access to criminal reports.
Police would be required to issue redacted accident reports without the names and personal information of those involved. The bill has been opposed by public records advocates.
The bill still needs House approval.
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