DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 183 Original 2015 Regular Session Honore
Abstract: Creates the "Peace Officer Citizens and Protection Act" which requires law enforcement
officers to wear body cameras and provides relative to the policies and procedures regarding
use of the cameras.
Proposed law requires that a peace officer wear a body camera on the chest or at eye level at all times
while on duty and in uniform to record all contacts with any individual or group of people in the
performance of his official duties from the beginning to the end of those contacts. Proposed law
further requires the peace officer to inform any person when that person is being recorded unless
informing the person would be unsafe, impractical, or impossible.
Proposed law requires that the law enforcement agency be responsible for all recordings made by
its law enforcement officers, and requires all recordings to be retained by the law enforcement
agency for a period of at least two years from the date of the recording.
Proposed law requires that a peace officer who fails to record any contact as required by proposed
law be subject to an investigation into the cause of the recording failure and may be subject to
disciplinary action as determined by his superior.
Proposed law requires each law enforcement agency to establish policies and procedures and train
officers regarding the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras and the data recorded
by such body cameras.
Proposed law requires all law enforcement agencies to participate in any existing state or federal
programs that fund or supplement the costs to purchase and maintain body cameras worn by peace
officers.
Proposed law exempts the audio and video data from the requirements provided for in Louisiana's
Public Records Law (R.S. 44:1 et seq.).
Provides that proposed law shall not be effective until funding is made available.
(Amends R.S. 44:4.1(B)(26); Adds R.S. 40:2431-2436)