Peace officers: confidential communications: group peer support services.

Senator Grayson's legislation expands confidentiality protections for law enforcement personnel participating in group peer support services, building upon California's existing Law Enforcement Peer Support and Crisis Referral Services Program. The bill extends current privacy rights, which protect individual communications between officers and peer support team members, to include interactions that occur during group support sessions.

The legislation defines group peer support services as structured interactions involving at least one peer support team member or mental health professional and multiple participants. Under the new provisions, law enforcement personnel maintain the right to prevent disclosure of confidential communications made during these group sessions. Additionally, participants cannot be compelled to reveal information learned about other group members without explicit consent from the individual to whom the information pertains.

The bill preserves existing exceptions to confidentiality, allowing disclosure when necessary to prevent death or substantial harm, during consultations between peer support team members, in criminal proceedings, or with written consent from the officer. These parameters aim to balance privacy protections with public safety and legal requirements while maintaining the established framework for crisis referral services and peer support programs.