Bill > S0248

This bill establishes that recordings made by a law enforcement officer's body camera are generally considered confidential and exempt from public records requests under specific circumstances, meaning they won't be automatically available to the public. These exemptions apply if the recording is made inside a private residence, a healthcare or social services facility, or any place where a person would reasonably expect privacy. However, law enforcement agencies can still share these recordings for their official duties or with other government agencies. The bill also outlines specific situations where these recordings must be disclosed, including to the person recorded, their personal representative (like a family member or legal guardian), or if a court orders it, with the court considering factors like potential harm to individuals or the administration of justice. Law enforcement agencies are required to keep these recordings for at least 90 days, and the exemption applies retroactively to past recordings. This exemption is temporary and will be reviewed and potentially repealed in the future unless reenacted by the legislature, with the legislature finding it a public necessity due to the sensitive personal information body camera recordings can capture and the potential for misuse, which they believe outweighs the public benefit of immediate disclosure.