HB 537 Summary

• Requires law enforcement officers in counties with populations of 200,000 or more to wear and activate body-worn cameras during recordable interactions with the public, including traffic stops, arrests, searches, and interviews.

• Exempts camera activation requirements for interactions with confidential informants, undercover officers, routine non-law enforcement activities, and public training or presentations.

• Allows body-worn camera recordings to be used as evidence in administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings, and requires law enforcement agencies to retain original unredacted recordings for a reasonable period.

• Appropriates $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2015-2016 and $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017 to the Governor's Crime Commission for grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase cameras and pay storage costs, requiring a 1:5 match of grant to nongrant funds with a maximum grant of $100,000 per agency.

• State Highway Patrol and county law enforcement must comply with camera requirements beginning January 1, 2016, while other covered officers must comply beginning January 1, 2017.