I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1213 

To require, as a condition on the receipt of Federal funds, that States 

require law enforcement agencies to have in effect a policy regarding 

the use of body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 21, 2017 

Mr. RUSH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To require, as a condition on the receipt of Federal funds, 

that States require law enforcement agencies to have 

in effect a policy regarding the use of body-worn cameras 

and dashboard cameras. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Laquan McDonald 

5 Camera Act of 2017’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO HAVE BODY-WORN CAMERAS 

2 AND DASHBOARD CAMERA POLICIES. 

3 To be in compliance with this section, a State shall 

4 require each law enforcement agency of that State and of 

5 a unit of a local government of that State to have in effect 

6 a policy requiring and prescribing the conditions for the 

7 use of body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras by law 

8 enforcement officers of that agency, and to establish pro9 cedures providing for the effective enforcement of that pol10 icy. 

11 SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL FUNDS. 

12 (a) COVERED PROGRAMS.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this Act, a 

14 grant program is covered by this section if— 

15 (A) the program is carried out by or under 

16 the authority of the Attorney General; and 

17 (B) the program may provide amounts to 

18 States for law enforcement purposes. 

19 (2) LIST.—For each fiscal year, the Attorney 

20 General shall prepare a list identifying each program 

21 that meets the criteria of paragraph (1) and provide 

22 that list to each State. 

23 (b) COMPLIANCE.—For each fiscal year, any amount 

24 that a State would otherwise receive for that fiscal year 

25 under a grant program covered by this section shall be 

26 reduced by 10 percent, unless the State submits to the 

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1 Attorney General a certification that each law enforcement 

2 agency of the State, and of each unit of local government 

3 of the State, is in full compliance with the requirements 

4 of section 2. 

5 (c) CITIZEN SUITS.—In the case of a State that has 

6 submitted a certification under subsection (b), if that 

7 State has made any misrepresentation in that certification 

8 pertaining to full compliance with the requirements of sec9 tion 2, a private citizen who is a resident of that State 

10 may bring an action in a Federal district court to compel 

11 the Attorney General to take appropriate action under 

12 subsection (b). The court shall expedite consideration of 

13 such an action, and advance it on the docket to the max14 imum extent practicable. 

15 (d) REDISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts under 

16 a grant program not granted by reason of a reduction 

17 under subsection (b), shall be granted to one or more enti18 ties not subject to such reduction or such prohibition, sub19 ject to the other laws governing that program. 

20 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The first grants to which 

21 subsection (b) applies are grants for the fiscal year begin22 ning October 1, 2018. 

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