Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act

This bill would require federal law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and agencies to add in-car video cameras in patrol vehicles . Cameras must record during calls for service or any stop, officers must tell people they are being recorded, and cameras stay on until the stop ends. Before entering a home without a warrant, or when speaking with a crime victim or someone reporting anonymously, officers must ask if the person wants the camera turned off; if they say yes, it must be turned off. Cameras cannot be used to collect information about speech, protests, or religion, and may not use facial recognition or other biometric tech . There are narrow exceptions, such as protecting informants or undercover officers, guarding national security, or on K–12 school grounds unless there is an imminent threat to life or health.

Body camera video is kept for 6 months, then deleted, unless it involves use of force, a complaint, or someone asks for a longer hold—then it is kept at least 3 years . People in the video (or a parent for a minor, or next of kin if the person died) can look at it during those 6 months, though they might not get a copy. The public can request videos under federal records rules; some won’t be released without permission, but cases where someone was killed, shot, or badly hurt are prioritized, and redaction can protect privacy . If officers break the rules or tamper with video, they face discipline, and courts may assume missing video would have helped the accused or a person suing; in serious force cases, agencies must secure the camera, and officers generally must write first reports before watching the video . Agencies must post their body camera policies online, and dash-cam videos are kept at least 90 days and can be requested under federal privacy law provisions . The Justice Department must issue rules within 6 months, and a federal study on training, pursuits, and use of force is due in 18 months; these rules apply when officers are on duty.

• Who is affected: Federal law enforcement officers and agencies; people who interact with them, including residents and crime victims.
• What changes: Body cams and in-car cameras required; clear recording rules; options to pause in homes/victim/anonymous tips; no facial recognition; simple, faster access to key videos; strong penalties for not following the rules .
• When: DOJ regulations due within 6 months; federal study due within 18 months; body-cam video kept 6 months (or 3 years in special cases); in-car video kept at least 90 days .