Bill > H4675

This bill establishes the South Carolina Community Data Protection and Responsible Surveillance Act, which creates strict regulations for vehicle surveillance technologies used by state and local law enforcement agencies. The legislation prohibits law enforcement from using surveillance systems that store data on third-party servers, mandates that all surveillance data be stored exclusively on government-owned servers within South Carolina, and restricts the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in vehicle tracking to only analyzing license plate information. The bill limits surveillance data retention to 21 days, requires judicial oversight through search warrants for data access, and mandates that any data access be thoroughly logged and subject to independent quarterly audits by the Inspector General. Law enforcement agencies must obtain a warrant supported by probable cause to access surveillance data, with only narrow emergency exceptions, and must publish annual transparency reports detailing their use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems. Violations of the act can result in misdemeanor charges, potential imprisonment, fines, and civil liability, and any improperly obtained surveillance data would be inadmissible in legal proceedings. The primary goal is to protect citizens' privacy rights while ensuring that surveillance technologies are used responsibly and with appropriate legal safeguards.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4675&session=126&summary=B