House Bill 26-008

This bill requires certain public servants who regularly interact with members of the public while performing official duties to utilize body-worn cameras and establishes statewide standards governing their use. The bill is intended to increase transparency, improve accountability, and provide clear documentation of public interactions while balancing individual privacy rights and operational needs of government agencies.

The legislation requires state and local agencies to provide body-worn cameras to public-facing employees, including law enforcement and other public safety personnel, and to adopt policies consistent with statewide requirements for activation, recording, storage, and disclosure of footage. Cameras must generally be activated during enforcement actions, investigative encounters, use of force incidents, and other official interactions where documentation is necessary.

The bill also establishes privacy protections by limiting recording in sensitive locations or situations and allowing temporary deactivation when privacy concerns outweigh enforcement needs. Recordings are subject to public records laws, with allowances for redaction or withholding where disclosure would violate privacy, interfere with investigations, or endanger individuals.

Additionally, the bill requires agencies to adopt disciplinary standards for intentional misuse or failure to activate body-worn cameras and authorizes rulemaking by the Department of Public Safety to ensure consistent statewide implementation.