Crimes.

Senators Pérez and Wiener present a measure that ties transparent identification of law enforcement to public trust in California, situating new identification requirements within a broader goal of clearly distinguishing legitimate authorities amid ongoing concerns about federal enforcement practices.

At the core, the bill requires a law enforcement agency operating in the state to maintain and publicly post a written policy on visible identification for sworn personnel by early 2026. The policy must state a purpose that includes transparency, accountability, and public trust, and it must specify a requirement for sworn personnel to visibly display agency-affiliated identification that includes either a name or badge number (or both), during enforcement duties. A narrowly defined set of exemptions is provided, covering undercover operations, certain plainclothes assignments within specified state and federal agencies, personnel wearing protective gear, exigent circumstances, and other limited scenarios. A policy is deemed consistent with existing statutory standards unless challenged, with a remedy pathway enabling a public, oversight body, or local authority to press for corrections within 90 days; after that period, a court may determine exemption validity. The bill also requires agencies to define “enforcement duties” and to include a broad definition of “law enforcement agency” that encompasses state, local, and federal entities, as well as the meaning of “visibly display identification.” In addition, it authorizes a peace officer to request identification from an alleged law enforcement officer when there is probable cause or reasonable suspicion of crime.

Beyond identification, the measure expands the landscape of crimes involving impersonation. It recasts existing prohibitions to cover willful and credible impersonation of any law enforcement authority through any means, including online contexts, by extending the scope to include federal officers and related entities. Penalties for impersonation are preserved as misdemeanors across related provisions governing police, fire, and rescue designations, with aligned language about the misuse or sale of badges and insignia. The bill also introduces new enforcement tools, including a provision allowing a peace officer to request alleged officers to present identification, and clarifies who counts as a “law enforcement officer” for these purposes to include federal personnel.

The legislation tightens restrictions on bail fugitive recovery agents by prohibiting the use of their authority for immigration enforcement and limiting the disclosure of personally identifiable information of bail fugitives for immigration-enforcement purposes, save for specified circumstances. It adds procedural guardrails around identities used in bail-recovery contexts and requires careful handling of information, with explicit definitions of immigration enforcement to cover broader federal enforcement activity. Additionally, the act creates a framework in which local agencies must implement corresponding policies and operate under a framework that permits challenges to exemptions and judicial review if deficiencies persist, reinforcing a governance structure around enforcement identification, impersonation offenses, and information sharing.

In the broader policy context, the bill’s findings frame concerns about the visibility and identification of federal enforcement in California and link those concerns to public safety and trust. The authors’ claims emphasize the potential for confusion or fear among the public when enforcement personnel are not clearly identifiable, and they articulate a rationale for standardizing identification, defining enforcement authority, and limiting non-departmental use of enforcement powers. The measure is structured as an urgency statute with immediate effect, sets up a state-mandated local program, and addresses reimbursement considerations through established mandate procedures, reflecting an integrated approach to policy objectives, operational standards, and intergovernmental accountability.