Rule Text
(a) A peace officer or other employee of a law enforcement agency commits an offense if the officer or employee releases a recording created with a body worn camera under this subchapter without permission of the applicable law enforcement agency.
(b) An offense under this article is a Class A misdemeanor.
Amendment history: Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504), Sec. 1.001, eff. January 1, 2025.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If you work in law enforcement and you release a body camera recording without getting the okay from your agency first, you can be charged with a crime. This applies to police officers as well as other employees who work for a law enforcement agency.
Breaking this rule is a Class A misdemeanor. This is a serious misdemeanor charge in Texas, and it can lead to penalties like jail time and fines. The rule exists to make sure body camera footage is only shared through proper channels, not released on someone's own decision without approval.