By Rebecca Brown
Fiscal Note
In recent years, several high-profile civilian deaths involving police officers rallied the public to call for the use of body cameras by on-duty officers with the goal of increasing police accountability. This year, 46 states introduced legislation or resolutions addressing body cameras. By the summer of 2015, four states – California, South Carolina, Nevada, and New Jersey* – enacted laws requiring certain officers to wear them.
Five additional states (AZ, CO, LA, MD, VT) passed legislation requiring a study on the issue. The Alaska, Maine, West Virginia, and Wyoming legislatures have delegated the issue to local municipalities and police departments.
Prior to 2015, just four states had enacted legislation addressing the issue. A Pennsylvania law (30 § 901, 34 § 901) permits, but does not require, waterway and game conservation officers to wear body cameras. Vermont has a law (20 § 2367) that required a study of the use of body cameras in conjunction with electronic control devices.
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