HB1587 Requiring police body-worn camera footage be subject to the right-to-know law.
Requiring police body-worn camera footage be subject to the right-to-know law.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Mixed
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
No direct financial impact on residents, though police departments would face costs for managing public records requests for footage.
Your Community
Body camera transparency is a powerful tool for police accountability and can help build community trust in law enforcement.
Your Freedom
Strengthens government transparency and the public's right to oversee police conduct through open records access.
Status
Refer for Interim Study: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/19/2026 House Journal 5 P. 9
Sponsor
Matt Sabourin (R)
The Short Version
Would have made police body camera footage subject to NH's right-to-know law, making it accessible through public records requests. Referred for interim study. Balances police accountability against privacy concerns.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Citizens seeking police accountability
- ▲ Defendants who need footage for their defense
- ▲ Journalists and oversight organizations
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Police departments managing footage requests
- ▼ Individuals whose interactions with police could become public
- ▼ Privacy of crime victims captured on camera
Bill statuses as of May 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.