Bill > HB1039

This bill creates the Public Official Body Camera Act, which establishes comprehensive rules for body camera usage by public officials in the state. The bill defines a body camera as an electronic camera system worn by a person that can record, store, and process audiovisual recordings, and applies to any elected or appointed public official. The State Board of Elections will develop specific guidelines, including requirements that body cameras must be equipped with pre-event recording capabilities (capturing 30 seconds before activation), have a battery life of at least 10 hours, and be turned on during official duties. Public officials must provide notice when recording in situations where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, and recordings must be retained for 90 days without alteration or destruction. The bill also specifies that these recordings can be used as evidence in administrative, judicial, legislative, or disciplinary proceedings, and if a court finds that a recording was intentionally not captured, destroyed, or altered, this violation can be considered when weighing evidence. Additionally, the bill makes conforming changes to the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring that body camera recordings are subject to disclosure only to the extent they are responsive to specific requests and do not violate existing confidentiality provisions.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1039&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104