Shapiro Signs Law Allowing Probation Officer Body Cameras

Act 81 of 2026 amends the state's Wiretap Act so county probation officers may wear body cameras.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Law Enforcement

A matte-black body camera clipped to a navy uniform jacket hanging on a wooden hook in a bare, sunlit office with a window view of wooded hills. — Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Act 81 on Oct. 22, letting Pennsylvania counties equip probation officers with body cameras after a 2025 fatal shooting by an unequipped parole officer. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 81 of 2026 on October 22, allowing county probation officers to be equipped with body cameras. The bill passed the state House and Senate with broad bipartisan support and little opposition.

Why it matters

The law follows the July 2025 fatal shooting of Marchello Woodard, 43, by a state parole officer who was not wearing a body camera, and state parole officers are already permitted to wear them. Representative Ryan Bizzarro pushed the measure with advocates and leaders in Erie.

Act 81 of 2026 was signed into law on October 22 and amends the Wiretap Act to permit county probation officers to be equipped with body cameras. Counties are now able to authorize the devices, but the extraction does not specify how many have done so.

The players

Josh Shapiro

Josh Shapiro is the Governor of Pennsylvania who signed Act 81 of 2026 into law.

Ryan Bizzarro

Ryan Bizzarro is a Pennsylvania state representative who sponsored the bill following the death of Marchello Woodard.

The details

The law changes Pennsylvania's Wiretap Act so counties can equip probation officers with body cameras, a provision that already applied to state parole officers. Governor Shapiro held a ceremonial bill signing on Monday following the October 22 enactment.

- July 2025: Marchello Woodard was fatally shot by his state parole officer during a compliance check.
- October 22: Governor Shapiro signed the bill, one day after final passage.
- Monday: Governor Shapiro held a ceremonial bill signing.

Legal Context

Act 81 of 2026 amends Pennsylvania's Wiretap Act, which previously permitted state parole officers to wear body cameras, to extend the same allowance to county probation officers. The change responds to a July 2025 shooting in which the officer involved was not equipped with a body camera.

Probation officers in Pennsylvania counties may now be equipped with body cameras, which could change how compliance checks and home visits are documented. Residents who interact with county probation staff may be subject to recorded encounters if their county opts in.

The takeaway

The law closes a gap that left county probation officers without a tool already available to state parole officers. Whether it changes outcomes will depend on how counties choose to deploy the cameras.