Bill Text: NJ S1163 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Chaptered

New Jersey Senate Bill 1163 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Requires law enforcement officers to wear body cameras.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-11-24 - Approved P.L.2020, c.128. [S1163 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-S1163-Chaptered.html

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C.40A:14-118.3 &

40A:14-118.4

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P.L. 2020, CHAPTER 128, approved November 24, 2020

Senate, No. 1163 (Third Reprint)

An Act concerning law enforcement officers and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary ³and subject to the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for this purpose³, every ¹uniformed¹ State, county, and municipal ¹patrol¹ law enforcement officer shall wear a ¹body worn¹ camera that electronically records audio and video while acting in the performance of ¹[his] the officer's¹ official duties ², except:

(1) while engaging in an undercover assignment;

(2) when assigned to non-uniformed duties;

(3) while serving in an administrative position within the department;

(4) while meeting with a confidential informant;

(5) while engaging in union representation of a member of the collective bargaining group;

(6) when directed by the Chief or a superior officer for a lawful purpose;

(7) a detective or investigator of a county prosecutor's office or Division of Criminal Justice when authorized by the County Prosecutor or Attorney General; or

(8) ³[at the request of a member of the public pursuant to rules developed] as may be otherwise provided in accordance with guidelines or directives promulgated³ by the Attorney General².

b. ³[The] In addition to funding provided through the annual appropriations act, the³ ¹body worn¹ cameras required by subsection a. of this section ³[shall] may³ be funded by forfeiture funds collected pursuant to N.J.S.2C:64-6, in an amount to be determined by the Attorney General ³, or any other source of funding made available for this purpose, including but not limited to federal grants³.

¹c. For the purposes of this section, "body worn camera" means a mobile video recording system worn by a law enforcement officer.¹

2. The Attorney General is authorized to promulgate ³or revise³ guidelines or directives, as appropriate, to implement and enforce the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

3. This act shall take effect ¹[on the first day of the sixth month following] immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the¹ ³[enactment ¹into law] effective date³ of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as Senate Bill No. 101 or Assembly Bill No. 4312 of 2020)¹, but the Attorney General may take such administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of the act.