No. SB 616
Filed under Criminal Justice.
Florida Highway Patrol Body Camera Use; Requiring members of the Florida Highway Patrol to wear a functioning body camera under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to adopt certain policies and procedures, ensure compliance with certain public records and retention requirements, and provide certain training; providing that an officer who does not comply with certain requirements, policies, and procedures may be subject to disciplinary action, etc. APPROPRIATION: $2,000,000
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDFlorida Highway Patrol officers must wear a functioning body camera while on duty and engaged in official law enforcement activities or public interactions.
The camera must remain activated during law enforcement encounters, traffic stops, pursuits, arrests, and any situation where the officer's actions could become the subject of an investigation or complaint.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must adopt written policies and procedures governing the proper use, activation, deactivation, maintenance, and storage of body cameras.
The Department must ensure compliance with public records and retention requirements and provide training to all officers on the appropriate use of body cameras and related legal considerations.
AICreates a new legal duty requiring every Florida Highway Patrol officer to wear and activate a functioning body camera during all official law enforcement activities and public interactions.
AIRemoves the Florida Highway Patrol from the definition of law enforcement agencies and officers in the existing state body camera statute, effectively carving FHP out of the general legal framework that applies to other police departments.
AIMandates that the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles adopt written policies governing camera use, ensure compliance with public records retention laws, and provide specific training to all FHP officers.
AIEstablishes that FHP officers who fail to comply with the new body camera requirements or departmental policies may face disciplinary action, creating a direct enforcement mechanism for the new mandate.