Stop Body Camera Paywalls Act

# Stop Body Camera Paywalls Act - Summary **What the Bill Would Do:** This bill aims to prevent police departments and other law enforcement agencies from charging fees to access body camera footage. Currently, some departments treat body camera recordings as public records but charge citizens, journalists, and organizations to obtain copies—sometimes at rates that can be quite expensive. The Stop Body Camera Paywalls Act would prohibit these fees, making body camera footage freely accessible as a public record. **Who It Affects:** The bill would impact law enforcement agencies (which would need to provide footage without charge), the public and media (who would gain free access to recordings), and potentially citizens seeking evidence in legal cases or investigating police conduct.

It doesn't appear to exempt any particular types of footage or agencies from the requirement. **Current Status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and remains in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full House. As it's in the early stage of the legislative process, there's no indication of whether it will advance to a floor vote.