Senate Bill 1976 aims to establish comprehensive regulations for the use of body cameras by law enforcement officers in Tennessee. The bill introduces a new part to the Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, Chapter 1, defining key terms such as "body camera recording," "law enforcement agency," and "subject of the recording." It mandates that law enforcement agencies adopt written policies governing the use of body cameras, which must include guidelines for when officers are required to activate and deactivate the cameras, as well as protocols for notifying individuals that they are being recorded. The bill also outlines specific exceptions for discontinuing the use of body cameras in certain situations, such as when interacting with crime victims or individuals wishing to report crimes anonymously.

Additionally, the bill stipulates retention periods for body camera recordings, requiring that recordings be kept for at least six months, with extensions to thirteen months for recordings involving use of force or complaints. It establishes that body camera recordings are part of the public record, with certain exceptions, and prohibits their use for commercial purposes. The bill also includes provisions for disciplinary actions against officers or agents who violate the established policies, as well as rebuttable evidentiary presumptions in favor of defendants or plaintiffs in cases where evidence may have been destroyed or not captured. The act will take effect upon becoming law and applies to recordings created thereafter.