By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media 

On May 20, the California Assembly Public Safety Committee approved a bill that would make it illegal for first responders to take pictures or record video of a deceased person at the scene of an accident A. Gipson (D-Los Angeles) authored the bill, AB 2655, titled the “Invasion of Privacy: First Responders” act.

AB 2655 is one of the few non-coronavirus-related bills that has moved in the legislature since the global Safety Committee has approved the legislation, it has been referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for review.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department announced in March that eight of its deputies were responsible for sharing images taken at the site where retired NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna “GiGi” Bryant died in a helicopter crash.

A few days after Bryant’s death, U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA-30) introduced a bill in the United States Congress titled, “The Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act.”

“Had this system been on the helicopter, it is likely the tragic crash could have been voted yes on AB 2655 are: Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), who is the chair of the Public Safety Committee; Angeles); and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland).