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Debate grows over which technologies would be grandfathered under Bill 4-25
Summary
Council staff and department officials debated whether the bill should grandfather in technologies acquired before Jan. 1, 2020 or July 1, 2023, and how retroactivity could affect ongoing uses, vendor updates and tests; staff said a transition runway would allow continued use while regulations are drafted.
A central point of contention during the Feb. 2 work session on Bill 4-25 was the bill’s proposed grandfathering date and how retroactivity would be handled for technologies already in county use or procurement. Council staff described competing amendment packages: lead sponsors propose moving the grandfather date to July 1, 2023, which would exempt more existing equipment, while other council members urged narrow changes tied to procurement and regulation timing.
Councilmember Lukey pressed for clarity about which technologies would be caught by the chosen date and asked staff for an inventory. Mary Wellens told the committee the bill’s uncodified sections provide "a 9 month runway in which the departments would continue to use that technology" while regulations are prepared. Police staff warned that software updates (for example, body-worn camera features such as live transcription or translation) complicate the picture because vendor updates can change functionality without a new procurement.
