SB 962 - Under this act, law enforcement agencies may require their uniformed law enforcement officers to wear video cameras on their uniforms while on duty. Under this act, the Department of Public Safety must develop guidelines regarding the use of the cameras. Law enforcement agencies requiring the use of the cameras must also develop policies and procedures based on the guidelines. Under the guidelines, all data recorded by the cameras must be maintained by the law enforcement agency for at least 60 days. In addition, state and local law enforcement agencies requiring the use of the cameras must provide training to officers. This act specifies certain items that must be part of the training.
This act allows the governing body of a county or municipality to impose court surcharge of up to $1 on each criminal case, including municipal or county ordinance violations, if approved by a majority of the voters in the county or municipality. The surcharge must not be collected when the case has been dismissed and the judge may waive the cost when the defendant is found by the judge to be indigent and unable to pay the costs. The fees are payable to the county or municipality in which they originated. The county or municipality may only use the court surcharge for the initial purchase, maintenance, and replacement of video cameras worn by peace officers and costs relating to the maintenance and storage of data collected by the cameras.
This act requires the Department of Public Safety to implement a grant program to provide funding to law enforcement agencies for the cameras and the storage of data captured by the cameras. This act also creates a Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Fund in the state treasury to be comprised of money from state appropriations and state, federal, and private grants. State and local law enforcement agencies may apply to the Department of Public Safety to receive money from the fund for the costs of purchasing and maintaining the cameras and storing data from the cameras.
This act adds a definition for mobile video recorders to the portion of the state's open records law regarding police records and provides that data from mobile video recorders are closed records to the public. The records, however, may be disclosed in certain situations.
This act is similar to HB 2354 (2016).
MEGHAN LUECKE