ATTACHMENT A
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 24, 2025
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 16, 2025
SENATE BILLNo. 627
Introduced by Senators Wiener and Arregum Wiener, Arreguin, and Perez
(Coauthor: Senator Caballero)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Elhawary, Kalra, and Lee)
Febmary 20, 2025
An act to add Section 185.5 to the Penal Code, relating to law enforcement.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 627, as amended, Wiener. Law enforcement: masks.
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to wear a mask, false whiskers, or any personal disguise, as specified, with the purpose of evading or escaping discovery, recognition, or identification while committing a public offense, or for concealment, flight, evasion, or escape from arrest or conviction for any public offense.
This bill would make it a misdemeanor crime for a law enforcement officer to wear any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties, except as specified. The bill would exempt an officer engaged in an zmdercover assignment from these provisions. The bill would define law enforcement officer as any officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, or any person acting on behalf of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency.
By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would additionally state the intent of the Lcgislahu-c to enact legislation to ensure that Special Weapons and Tactics team officers can utilize gear necessary to protect their faces from physical 97 SB 627—2—
harm while they perform their duties, and to enact legislation to require local, state, and federal law enforcement officers to include their name or badge number on their unifoiTns.
This bill would declare its provisions to be severable.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state.
Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
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The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 1 85.5 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
185.5. (a) A law enforcement officer shall not wear any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties, except for medical grade masks that are surgical or N95 respirators designed to prevent the transmission of airborne diseases and diseases, masks designed to protect against exposure to smoke during a state of emergency related to wildfires. wildfires, or protective gear used by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team officers necessary to protect their faces from harm while they perform their SWAT responsibilities.
(b) A violation of this section shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.
(c) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to ensure that Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team officers can utilize gear necessary to protect their faces from physical harm while they perform their SWAT responsibilities.
(2) It is the intent of the Lcgislatiirc to enact legislation to require law enforcement officers to include their name or badge number on their uniforms.
(b) This section does not apply to an officer while they are engaged in an undercover assignment.
(c) (1) A violation of this section by any person acting on behalf of a local, state or federal agency, that is not a swornpeace officer or agent, shall be a misdemeanor.
(2) A violation of this section by a sworn peace officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, or an agent of a state, 97 —3—SB 627
1 local, or federal agency, shall be an infraction. A second or 2 subsequent violation shall be an infraction or a misdemeanor. 3 (d) (1) For the pui-poses of this section, "law enforcement 4 officer" means any officer of a local, state, or federal law 5 enforcement agency, or any person acting on behalf of a local, 6 state, or federal law enforcement agency.
7 (2) For the purposes of this section, "mask or personal disguise 8 does not include a face shield if it does not conceal the wearer's 9 face.
10 (e) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision 11 of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall 12 not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect 13 without the invalid provision or application.
14 SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to 15 Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because 16 the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school 17 district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or 18 infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty 19 for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of 20 the Government Code, or changes the defiinition of a crime within 21 the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California 22 Constitition.
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