Ohio senator urges limits on law-enforcement fees for bodycam and other video records

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Hicks Hudson urged colleagues to protect individuals depicted in police video from burdensome fees created by a recent change in state law, during sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 123.

Hudson told the committee the bill would "prohibit law enforcement from charging fees for certain videos" when the requester is an individual known or presumed to be depicted in the footage or a close family member. She said a provision added to House Bill 315 at the end of the previous general assembly authorized agencies to charge for preparing video records, including reviewing, blurring, redacting, uploading and producing footage, and that the change had no prior public input.

"This new law goes above the...actual cost of production and can cause a burden to the requester," Hudson said, adding that she considered the resulting charge "an exorbitant cost" for people depicted in the video who may need footage to defend themselves or document possible wrongdoing.

Why it matters: Hudson framed the proposal as a balance between smaller agencies’ administrative costs and the rights of individuals recorded by state- or locally funded equipment. She said footage is produced using government-funded cameras and staff and that charging those depicted risks limiting access to evidence that may be needed for defense, medical or civil matters.

Hudson acknowledged smaller agencies may need help covering staff time and technical work but said the statutory language adopted in-house bill 315 effectively allowed agencies to set broad, nonstandardized fees and to recover costs beyond mere duplication. She asked the committee to consider protections for people recorded by police cameras and promised to answer members’ questions.

The committee chair took no vote; the hearing was recorded as the first hearing on Senate Bill 123 and will return to committee process later.