ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4271

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  AUGUST 24, 2020

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4271, with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill requires every uniformed State, county, and municipal patrol law enforcement officer to wear a body worn camera that electronically records audio and video while acting in the performance of the officer’s official duties, 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)  at the request of a member of the public pursuant to rules developed by the Attorney General.

      Under this bill, the body worn cameras are to be funded by forfeiture funds received by the Attorney General as instrumentalities of crime.

      The bill would take effect immediately, but would remain inoperative until the enactment into law of Senate Bill No. 101 or Assembly Bill No. 4312 of 2020-2021, currently pending before the Legislature.  The bill authorizes the Attorney General to promulgate guidelines or directives in advance as necessary.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to:

· Narrow the scope of the body worn camera requirement to uniformed patrol law enforcement officers and provide exceptions to the body worn camera requirement under certain circumstances;

· Define “body worn camera”; and

· Provide that the provisions of the bill would remain inoperative until the enactment of Senate Bill No. 101 or Assembly Bill No. 4312 of 2020-21.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services estimates that this bill will result in an indeterminate increase in State and local government costs.