Bill > SB691

This bill requires law enforcement agencies to update their body-worn camera policies by July 1, 2026, to address patient privacy during medical and psychological evaluations. Specifically, the bill mandates that agencies provide guidance to officers about when to temporarily limit recording during medical procedures that could cause patient embarrassment, such as when intimate body parts are exposed. The policy must include procedures for emergency medical service personnel to request that officers stop recording or request redaction of recordings involving patient evaluations or treatments. The bill emphasizes protecting patient privacy while maintaining the investigative utility of body-worn camera footage, and it clarifies that these new requirements do not create additional obligations for law enforcement or override existing medical privacy protections like HIPAA. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that implementing these policy updates creates additional costs for local agencies, the state will reimburse those agencies according to existing statutory procedures.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB691