TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill introduced in Florida's House of Representatives would allow video cameras in public classrooms beginning in July.
The bill, HB 1055, introduced by Rep. Bob Rommel (R-Naples), would have public school districts place video cameras in classrooms to record an "incident" and require certain classroom teachers to wear a microphone as well in the event that footage needed to be reviewed.
An incident could include abuse or anything that goes against proper conduct for employees and students in a school district, according to the bill.
The video camera would be placed at the front of the classroom and capable of monitoring all areas of the classroom and recording audio, except in areas like restrooms and changing areas.
Before a school district installs the video cameras, district leaders would provide written notice of the installation to the parents, students and school employees.
With the new surveillance cameras, the bill states the identity of any students not involved with an incident who appear in the video recording will be concealed by a blurring of the face.
Within seven days after receiving a request to view a video recorded, the following people would be allowed to view the recording: a school district employee involved in the alleged incident, a parent of a student involved in an alleged incident, a school district employee as part of the investigation, a law enforcement officer as part of the investigation and the Department of Children and Families as part of a child abuse or neglect investigation.
Principals would be in charge of video camera recordings and video recordings would be retained for at least three months from its recording date or until the conclusion of an investigation.
The law would require each school district to complete and vote on whether to implement classroom cameras, including an estimation of costs, by Jan. 1, 2023.
