CAM TIP Act of 2015

Summary: Camera Accountability Maintenance and Transparency in Policing Act of 2015 or the CAM TIP Act of 2015  Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make matching grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers.  Requires a grantee's body camera program to:  establish policies and procedures for when law enforcement officers should wear, activate, and deactivate such cameras; ensure the protection of civil liberties of members of the general public;   limit the use of recordings of such cameras to monitor the conduct of law enforcement officers outside of their official interactions with the public;   develop standards regarding the effective body placement of such cameras;   describe best practices for receiving an accurate narrative from recordings; establish procedures for collecting and storing recordings;  establish policies governing the availability of such recordings to the general public, to victims of crimes, and for internal use by law enforcement; and  have guidelines and training for law enforcement officers on the proper management and use of such cameras.   Requires grants to be awarded first to qualifying local governments with fewer than 100,000 residents, with any remaining funds awarded to other applicants on a pro rata basis.  Directs the Attorney General to study the cost to state and local law enforcement agencies of purchasing and using body-worn or similar cameras. Establishes in the Department of Justice a task force to: (1) provide recommendations on community policing, (2) study the impact that citizen review boards could have on investigating cases of alleged police misconduct, and (3) conduct a survey to determine best practices and the effectiveness of the body camera requirement policy. Directs the Government Accountability Office to report on the Department of Defense Excess Personal Property Program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Camera Accountability Maintenance 
and Transparency in Policing Act of 2015'' or the ``CAM TIP Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. BODY-WORN CAMERA GRANTS.

    Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

                   ``PART MM--BODY-WORN CAMERA GRANTS

``SEC. 3031. IN GENERAL.

    ``From amounts made available to carry out this part, the Director 
of the Bureau of Justice Assistance may make grants to States, units of 
local government, and Indian tribes for the acquisition, operation, and 
maintenance of body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers. In 
making such grants, the Director shall assess the program proposed by 
the applicant for the elements described in section 3033.

``SEC. 3032. USES OF FUNDS.

    ``Grants awarded under this section shall be--
            ``(1) distributed directly to the State, unit of local 
        government, or Indian tribe; and
            ``(2) used for the program described under section 3033.

``SEC. 3033. PROGRAM DESCRIBED.

    ``The program described in this section is any program implemented 
by a grantee requiring the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement 
officers in that jurisdiction, which--
            ``(1) establishes policies and procedures for when law 
        enforcement officers should wear, activate, and deactivate 
        body-worn cameras;
            ``(2) ensures the protection of the civil liberties of 
        members of general public relating to the use of body-worn 
        cameras by law enforcement officers;
            ``(3) establishes policies limiting the use of recordings 
        of body-worn cameras to monitor the conduct of law enforcement 
        officers outside of their interactions, in an official 
        capacity, with members of the general public;
            ``(4) establishes or proposes to develop standards relating 
        to the effective placement, on a law enforcement officer's 
        body, of a body-worn camera;
            ``(5) describes the best practices for receiving an 
        accurate narrative from the recordings of body-worn cameras;
            ``(6) establishes policies for the collection and storage 
        of the recordings of body-worn cameras;
            ``(7) establishes policies relating to the availability of 
        recordings of body-worn cameras--
                    ``(A) to the general public;
                    ``(B) to victims of crimes; and
                    ``(C) for internal use by the law enforcement 
                agency; and
            ``(8) has in place guidelines and training courses for law 
        enforcement officers relating to the proper management and use 
        of body-worn cameras.

``SEC. 3034. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

    ``Funds available under this part shall be awarded to each 
qualifying unit of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents. 
Any remaining funds available under this part shall be awarded to other 
qualifying applicants on a pro rata basis.

``SEC. 3035. MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.

    ``(a) Federal Share.--The portion of the costs of a program 
provided by a grant under subsection (a) may not exceed 50 percent. Any 
funds appropriated by Congress for the activities of any agency of an 
Indian tribal government or the Bureau of Indian Affairs performing law 
enforcement functions on any Indian lands may be used to provide the 
non-Federal share of a matching requirement funded under this 
subsection.
    ``(b) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share of payments made 
under this part may be made in cash or in-kind fairly evaluated, 
including planned equipment or services.''.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON THE COST OF THE PURCHASE AND USE OF BODY-WORN CAMERAS 
              BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.

    (a) Study.--The Attorney General shall conduct a study on the cost 
to State and local law enforcement agencies of purchasing and using 
body-worn cameras or other similar cameras, including gun-mounted 
cameras.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a 
report that contains the results of the study conducted under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE ON COMMUNITY POLICING AND BODY 
              CAMERA ACCOUNTABILITY.

    There shall be established in the Department of Justice a task 
force to do the following:
            (1) The task force shall be created to provide 
        recommendations on community policing, including best practices 
        for creating accountability and transparency.
            (2) Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the task force shall provide a report to the 
        Congress, which shall include the recommendations under 
        paragraph (1).
            (3) Membership shall include representatives of civil 
        rights organizations, Federal, State, and local law enforcement 
        personnel, and community policing experts.
            (4) The task force shall develop proper body-worn camera 
        training protocol.
            (5) The task force shall study the impact that citizen 
        review boards could have on investigating cases of alleged 
        police misconduct.
            (6) Not later than 1 year after implementation of the body 
        camera requirement policy under section 3033 of title I of the 
        Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1968, the task force shall conduct 
        a survey to determine best practices and effectiveness of the 
        policy with findings to be reported back to the Congress.

SEC. 5. GAO REPORT ON PENTAGON'S 1033 PROGRAM.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Congress a 
report on the Department of Defense Excess Personal Property Program 
established pursuant to section 1033 the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104-201), that includes 
information on--
            (1) which jurisdictions equipment is sent to;
            (2) the value of equipment sent to each jurisdiction;
            (3) the level of training provided to officers; and
            (4) how the equipment is used in the jurisdiction.