HB 1718

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT # 2, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1718, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, require each correctional officer at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center to utilize a body camera that is recording at all times while the officer is on duty at the facility and is in contact with or may reaso nably anticipate contact or interaction with an inmate. The prison contractor providing correctional services at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center must pay the costs of procuring an adequate number of body cameras and the costs of data storage and mai nt enance. REVIEW AND TRANSMISSION OF FOOTAGE This amendment requires the department of correction ("department"") to designate one or more employees to review captured body camera recordings for each incident, interaction between two or more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and an inmate or another correctional officer that is or is suspected to be unlawful, abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline of an inmate. Such review must happen within five business days of the incident or interaction. Body cam er a recordings that must be reviewed or that may be subject to a request must be stored and maintained securely for at least one year. Stored recordings must be easily transmissible to the district attorney general and a prosecuting authority. Recordings not required to be stored must be maintained for at least seven days after review. This amendment requires the department to transmit to the district attorney general each portion of a body camera recording that captures an incident, interaction between two or more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and an inmate or another correctional officer that is or is suspected to be unlawful, abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline of an inmate. Recordings must be transmitted within 48 hours of review. If the district attorney general determines t ha t the recording does not capture activity that is unlawful or prosecutable, the district attorney general must notify the department and prison contractor that the recording may be deleted. Body camera footage must be provided to any federal, state, or l ocal prosecuting authority upon request. This amendment requires the department to aggregate body camera data that requires transmission and submit a quarterly report to the chair of the corrections subcommittee of the state and local government committee of the senate and to the chair of the c ommittee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over corrections. Further, an annual report must be submitted to such chairs by June 30, 2027. CONFIDENTIALITY This amendment provides that a body camera recording captured and maintained pursuant to this amendment is confidential and not open to public inspection. However, if the recording is relevant to a civil action or criminal prosecution, then the recordin g may be released to the appropriate parties or agencies. The court or administrative judge must issue appropriate protective orders. REPEALER The provisions in this amendment are repealed on July 1, 2027."