The proposed General Assembly Committee Bill No. 973 seeks to amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to enhance the transparency and accountability of police body-worn recording equipment and dashboard cameras. Key insertions include definitions for terms such as "requesting party," "involved person," and "redact," which clarify the process for accessing recordings. The bill mandates that police officers must use body-worn recording equipment during public interactions and establishes technical specifications for this equipment, subject to approval by relevant authorities. It also introduces provisions for redaction fees, allowing law enforcement to charge for obscuring sensitive information before public release, and requires recordings to be disclosed within 48 to 96 hours after an officer's review, with certain exceptions.

Additionally, the bill outlines specific prohibitions on recording certain interactions and establishes guidelines for police training and annual compliance reporting. It modifies the fee structure for accessing records, stating that public agencies cannot charge for the time spent searching for records and waiving the first four hours of labor costs for redaction. Any additional redaction labor costs can be charged at a capped rate, and fees for requesting parties are limited to $100 per hour. The bill also includes provisions for fee waivers in specific circumstances, such as for involved parties or their legal representatives, and mandates that public agencies maintain unredacted copies of records that are redacted for public dissemination. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 29-6d