Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB332 by West (Relating to preventing racial profiling and to video and audio equipment and recordings of certain law enforcement motor vehicle stops; creating an offense.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill addresses procedures for the capture and release of law enforcement dash camera footage, and creates a criminal offense for impermissible release of this footage. In part, this bill creates Article 2.13852 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which requires a requester to provide the date, time, specific location, and the name of the individual that is the subject of the footage requested.
According to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), this bill would require the OAG to set a proposed fee charged to members of the public who seek to obtain a copy of dash camera footage. The OAG anticipates the requirement would not significantly increase the agency's workload and there would be no significant fiscal implications as the result of the provisions of the bill. Any increase in workload could be absorbed within existing resources.
According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, Department of Public Safety, and Office of Court Administration, no significant fiscal impact is anticipated.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2019.
Local Government Impact
While the Texas Association of Counties is unable to put a dollar amount at this time on the fiscal impact to counties, the impact is expected to be significant.
Local governments will have to determine a cost to charge requestors for the production of these types of recordings based on the proposed fee set by the OAG.
The Texas Municipal League anticipates no significant fiscal implication as the result of the provisions of the bill.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 405 Department of Public Safety, 407 Commission on Law Enforcement