Texas Bill Could Block Public Access to Uvalde Shooting Records

A new proposal making its way through the Texas Legislature could significantly limit public access to law enforcement records, including those tied to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde. If passed, the bill could prevent the release of key materials such as surveillance video, emergency call audio, and internal investigative files related to the police response.

According to Uvalde Leader-News, Senate Bill 15, which passed the Senate and moved to the House on August 20, seeks to shield nearly all internal law enforcement documents by placing them in sealed department files. The only materials that would remain public are officer personnel files.

Three years after the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) continues to withhold many of its records, even as Uvalde County and the local school district released their own last week. However, those documents were incomplete, missing security footage and district emails. According to Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, DPS and the Texas Rangers seized the only copies of video and audio from the day of the attack.

If passed, SB 15 would block access to any DPS internal investigations that didn’t lead to formal discipline, in addition to unreleased 911 recordings and the remaining fixed-camera footage from Robb Elementary.

While the bill has been criticized for potentially reducing accountability, one amendment from Sen. Royce West, added August 18, aims to clarify that body camera footage should remain accessible. However, access to such footage is already largely discretionary under current law. Rep. Phil King, the bill’s author, insisted SB 15 would not affect body camera records. Still, body camera videos from 91 DPS officers who responded to the shooting remain unreleased.

Governor Greg Abbott has labeled SB 15 an emergency item and encouraged lawmakers to move it forward. The bill is now being considered by the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veteran’s Affairs.