Gov. Dayton signs bill that sets rules for police body cameras

Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law legislation that sets statewide rules for body cameras worn by law enforcement officers on Tuesday.

The bill makes most footage collected by the cameras private -- only those who appear in the videos will have access to the files, unless it involves an altercation that results in great bodily harm. If that’s the case, the footage will be made available to the public.

In the aftermath of police shootings like Jamar Clark, body cameras have been touted to improve accountability and transparency in police interactions with the public.

Dayton agreed to sign the bill once lawmakers removed a provision that allowed officers to review footage before writing an incident report – “I have signed this bill to honor my promise to the legislative sponsors that I would do so, if an objectionable provision were removed,” he said Tuesday.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report