Bill > SB00225

This bill, effective October 1, 2026, allows public agencies to charge a fee for redacting, or obscuring, portions of records created by police body-worn recording equipment or dashboard cameras that cannot be legally disclosed under state or federal law, such as those involving victims of domestic abuse or minors, as defined by the Freedom of Information Act. The fee is intended to cover the time spent redacting these records, with the first four hours of labor being free to the requesting party, and subsequent labor costs capped at the hourly wage of the lowest-paid qualified employee, not to exceed one hundred dollars per hour of the record's length, with a maximum fee of fifty dollars per half hour if the record is rounded up. However, this fee is waived for individuals directly involved in the incident captured by the recording, their legal guardians, or their attorneys, and also for requests related to police misconduct investigations or when a police officer is involved in a shooting, accident, or giving a use-of-force statement. The bill also clarifies that existing fees for copying public records will not apply to these specific body camera and dashboard camera recordings, and public agencies must maintain original, unredacted copies of all records.

Government Affairs

Government Administration and Elections Committee (Joint)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB00225&which_year=2026