The Weekly Ledger

Dated this week

Ledger entries dated in the week. An entry is dated by when the change took effect, or for a pending action, by the date of that action.

• Arkansas

  Rule amendment: exam retake wait removed, out-of-state temporary work capped

  Licensing Ledger · October 14, 2026

• Texas

  Continuing education rule amendments on the commission agenda

  Licensing Ledger · October 15, 2026

• Washington

  De-escalation training and independent investigation rules updated

  Officer Ledger · October 15, 2026

Taking effect in the next 30 days

Nothing in the Ledgers takes effect in the next 30 days.

New in the Ledgers

Compared with the edition of October 19, 2026, the earliest kept before this one.

• Idaho

  Temporary rule: in-service hours for misdemeanor probation officers; juvenile disciplines merged

  Officer Ledger · October 7, 2026

• Alabama

  Legislative study commission on the 2025 officer protections

  Officer Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Alabama

  No state fee for APOSTC background checks; ALEA may set up a rap back program

  Officer Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Alabama

  Biometrics at arrest: mugshot required, DNA and iris allowed, removal for cleared arrestees dropped

  Forensic Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Connecticut

  No civil arrests at schools, hospitals, and other protected places without a judicial warrant

  Officer Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Connecticut

  Post-conviction DNA testing opened to people on probation or parole; denials made appealable

  Forensic Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Connecticut

  DNA samples due within six months; one-time study of uncollected DNA

  Forensic Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Connecticut

  Business use of facial recognition for security: own-database matching and entrance signs

  Forensic Ledger · October 1, 2026

• Tennessee

  POST rules: a point system for out-of-state officers, 488-hour multi-agency academies, and break-in-service rules

  Officer Ledger · September 24, 2026

• Mississippi

  Applicants with an other-than-honorable military discharge may appeal to the Board

  Officer Ledger · September 10, 2026

• Mississippi

  BLEOST rules: administrative revocation on a felony charge, shorter break-in-service windows, and a wider residence area for reciprocity

  Officer Ledger · September 3, 2026

• Hawaii

  Post-conviction biological evidence retention narrowed; court procedure for early disposal added

  Forensic Ledger · September 1, 2026

• Louisiana

  Peace officers must be U.S. citizens

  Officer Ledger · August 1, 2026

• Louisiana

  Post-conviction relief denied for a known claim not raised, even if the failure was excusable; grants stayed until final

  Forensic Ledger · August 1, 2026

• Louisiana

  Statewide tracking of unresolved CODIS hits, with an annual public report

  Forensic Ledger · August 1, 2026

• Louisiana

  Driver’s license hold for people who owe a required DNA sample

  Forensic Ledger · August 1, 2026

• Louisiana

  Police drone footage admitted by certificate unless the defense demands the operator

  Forensic Ledger · August 1, 2026

• Maine

  Agencies must publish their policies and officer conduct rules by 2027

  Officer Ledger · July 29, 2026

• Maine

  Statewide sexual assault kit tracking system; all sexual assault kits kept 20 years; kit inventory due

  Forensic Ledger · July 29, 2026

• Maine

  DNA records disclosed to a charged person under the criminal discovery rules

  Forensic Ledger · July 29, 2026

• Delaware

  Every agency must report deaths in custody, or lose federal pass-through funds

  Officer Ledger · July 23, 2026

• Nebraska

  Designated corrections employees added to the law enforcement officer definition

  Officer Ledger · July 18, 2026

• Nebraska

  Stalking made a felony; misdemeanor stalking dropped from the DNA “other specified offense” list

  Forensic Ledger · July 18, 2026

• Montana

  Montana Supreme Court: abusive head trauma testimony based on differential diagnosis is not novel science

  Forensic Ledger · July 14, 2026

• Alaska

  Peace and correctional officers may enroll in a new address confidentiality program

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Alaska

  Sexual assault kits: shorter deadlines, a 120-day lab deadline, a statewide tracking system and victim notice

  Forensic Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Hawaii

  National Decertification Index checks before certifying or hiring; board reporting to the Index

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Idaho

  Idaho Association of Counties member added to the POST Council

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Idaho

  DNA database expanded to misdemeanor domestic violence and sexual battery; court-ordered collection and new timing rules

  Forensic Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Indiana

  Basic-training waiver for experienced out-of-state officers; ILEA director serves at the Board’s pleasure

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Indiana

  Pre-hiring request now covers all disciplinary and internal-investigation documents

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Indiana

  Local civilian oversight boards limited to an advisory role

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Indiana

  Privately funded advanced DNA testing, including genetic genealogy, for cold cases

  Forensic Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Iowa

  Bias, racial-awareness, and civil-rights training mandates removed; annual de-escalation training kept

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Iowa

  Level II academy eligibility: a degree or the veteran or federal-officer criteria

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Iowa

  Last work date and severance of departing public employees become public

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Iowa

  Sexual assault kits kept at least 20 years, or for a minor victim’s lifetime; 60-day written notice before disposal

  Forensic Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Kansas

  Expert testimony statute adopts the 2023 federal Rule 702 standard

  Forensic Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Mississippi

  Officers who fail a urine drug test get a hair-follicle retest before termination

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

• Mississippi

  Officers facing BLEOST sanctions get discovery, including exculpatory information

  Officer Ledger · July 1, 2026

Bills that moved

Bills in the current sessions whose title concerns a Ledger's subject and whose latest action fell in the week, from Bill Watch. Not reviewed by an editor; the legislature's page controls.

• Introduced

  NJ A759: Requires AG to study law enforcement use of facial recognition technology and issue report with recommendations for Statewide policy.

  Forensic Ledger · last action October 19, 2026: Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

• Introduced

  NJ A5423: Prohibits using facial recognition technology as sole basis for establishing probable cause for arrest warrant.

  Forensic Ledger · last action October 19, 2026: Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

• Introduced

  NJ S4312: Requires collection of DNA sample for certain arrests.

  Forensic Ledger · last action October 15, 2026: Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

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