The police body camera bill in the Senate defines how videos from those cameras are released to the public.
One of its provisions requires police to allow people involved in the video and their family members to view the footage upon request. They can't have a copy without going to court, but they can view it.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Brent Steele, R-Bedford, wants to add the media to the list of those who can view the videos upon request.
"And if you allow them to make a request of the agency and they get to see it, it just saves somebody going to court unnecessarily – maybe there's nothing there to see," says Steele.
The Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, says he sees the merit in that idea and is open to discussing it. But he says he doesn't want to open it up any further to include any member of the public, as some have suggested.
"I see that as undoable because if you get a high profile case, everyone and their brother is going to want to come in and try to do that and the police would be inundated with those requests," says Bray.
A subcommittee is expected to report back to the Senate Judiciary Committee within the next two weeks.