Text of article effective on January 01, 2025
Art. 2B.0102.  GRANTS FOR BODY WORN CAMERAS.  (a)  A police department of a municipality in this state, a sheriff of a county in this state who has received the approval of the commissioners court for the purpose, or the department may apply to the governor's office for a grant to defray the cost of implementing this subchapter and to equip peace officers with body worn cameras if that law enforcement agency employs officers who:
(1)  engage in traffic or highway patrol or otherwise regularly detain or stop motor vehicles; or
(2)  are primary responders who respond directly to calls for assistance from the public.
(b)  The governor's office shall set deadlines for applications for grants under this subchapter.
(c)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), the governor's office shall create and implement a matching grant program under which matching funds from federal, state, local, and other funding sources may be required as a condition of the grant.  A law enforcement agency that receives a grant under this article is required to match 25 percent of the grant money.
(d)  The department is eligible for grants under this subchapter but is not subject to any requirement for matching funds.
(e)  The governor's office may conditionally award a grant to a law enforcement agency that has not adopted and implemented the policy under Article 2B.0106 or implemented the training required under Article 2B.0107.  Money may not be disbursed to the law enforcement agency until the agency fully complies with those articles.
Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (H.B. 4504), Sec. 1.001, eff. January 1, 2025.