JFAC approves $1.0589 million supplemental for Department of Correction body-worn camera pilot

Noah Peterson, a budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, presented a supplemental request for the Department of Correction's State Prisons Division to accept a federal body-worn camera grant and appropriate associated funds.

Peterson told the committee the supplemental request was for a body-worn camera pilot program and that "the total appropriation is $1,051,000. The majority of this is $1,024,000 from federal funds and then $27,000 is from the general fund." He said the supplemental holds federal dollars in the appropriation for fiscal year 2025 and that additional requests would come in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for continuing program costs.

On the committee floor, Senator Wintrow moved the supplemental (as recorded in the motion text) to add a one-time appropriation described in the motion as $27,000 from the general fund and $1,023,900 from federal funds for a total of $1,058,900 for the pilot. The motion was seconded by Representative Manwaring. A roll-call summary announced 15 ayes, 4 nays and 1 absent/excused across both chambers and the committee chair said the budget would move forward with a do-pass recommendation.

Clarifying note: the presenting analyst's figures and the motion's numbers differ slightly in the transcript; the committee recorded the motion numbers as the action to be forwarded for the budget process.

Why it matters: The appropriation authorizes the Department of Correction to begin a federally funded pilot of body-worn cameras for state prison staff, with the state providing portions of matching or ongoing costs in later budget years as described in the presentation and motion.