Gov. Shapiro signs law letting fish and boat deputies, park rangers wear body cameras

More officers can now legally wear body cameras

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 520 on Nov. 24, 2025, giving four state law enforcement agencies the legal authority to use body-worn cameras for the first time. The law took effect 60 days after signing.

It does not require cameras, but lets each agency decide whether to adopt them. Before this bill, these agencies could not legally record interactions while on duty.

Four agencies get the green light

The law covers four groups: special agents with the Office of Attorney General, rangers with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and officers and deputies with both the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Each of these agencies previously had no legal path to use body cameras, even if they wanted to. That changes now.

Pennsylvania law blocked recording without permission

Pennsylvania is a two-party consent state under its Wiretap Act, which means everyone in a conversation must agree to being recorded.

Without a specific law carving out an exception, these agencies could not legally record their own interactions while working.

Senate Bill 520 updates the legal definition of “law enforcement officer” under the Wiretap Act to include all four agencies, giving them the same standing that other departments already had.

These officers often work far from backup

Many of these officers patrol forests, waterways, and state parks alone, far from any backup. Poor radio and cellphone coverage in remote areas can cut them off from communication entirely.

They also regularly encounter armed people, including hunters and anglers.

When no witnesses are around, body cameras give officers and the public an objective record of what happened.

Both parties voted yes — every single member

The bill passed without a single no vote. The Pennsylvania House approved it 203 to 0, and the Senate also passed it unanimously.

Sen. Lisa Baker, a Republican from Dallas, Pa., sponsored the bill. Both Republican and Democratic senators signed on as co-sponsors.

That kind of agreement across party lines is rare for any legislation, let alone one touching law enforcement policy.

Attorney general plans to equip nearly 100 agents

Attorney General Dave Sunday said nearly 100 agents from his office will use the cameras. Those agents carry out search warrants, vehicle stops, and arrests.

Sunday called body cameras a vital layer of protection for both officers and the public. The Office of Attorney General will receive about $213,000 from the State Gaming Fund to cover startup costs.

A 2015 law left some officers out

Pennsylvania first authorized body cameras for some Fish and Boat Commission and Game Commission officers back in 2015, but that law had gaps. Deputies of those agencies were not included.

DCNR rangers and Office of Attorney General agents also had no authorization.

Senate Bill 520 closes those gaps and brings all four agencies under the same set of rules for the first time.

Gaming fund, not taxpayers, covers the cost

The law has no impact on Pennsylvania’s General Fund.

A one-time transfer of $213,000 from the State Gaming Fund goes to the Office of Attorney General, and another $719,550 from the same fund goes to DCNR.

That money comes from unspent local law enforcement grants managed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Municipal police departments and state troopers are not affected by this law.

Parolees must now be told they may be recorded

The law also amends Title 61, which covers prisons and parole.

Parolees must now receive written notice that conversations with agents may be recorded by a body camera. That change applies to agents of the Department of Corrections.

It is a small but specific requirement built into the same bill, extending transparency rules beyond just the four agencies that gained new camera authority.

Each agency sets its own timeline

No agency is required to start using cameras right away. Each one decides whether to adopt body cameras and when.

The law does set a unified framework for how footage gets recorded and managed.

Officers must complete body camera training approved by the Pennsylvania State Police before using them. Recordings made by these agencies are not subject to public disclosure under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law.

What this means if you run into these officers

Pennsylvanians who interact with game wardens, park rangers, fishing officers, or Office of Attorney General agents may now be recorded during those encounters.

Supporters say cameras protect both sides by creating a clear record of what happened.

The law does not change any rules for municipal police departments, state troopers, or any local agencies that already use body cameras under existing authorization.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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