Bill > SB1111

This bill establishes new regulations for the use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), which are technologies that automatically detect license plates and capture associated data for law enforcement. The bill defines "official law enforcement purposes" to include identifying stolen vehicles, human trafficking, and missing persons, among other things. It mandates that ALPRs be used only for legitimate law enforcement activities, such as patrols, investigations, and canvassing crime scenes, and requires officers to verify alerts through central databases when possible before taking action. Operators must complete approved training, and access to data from law enforcement or national databases is restricted to authorized personnel. Data collected by ALPRs is generally not subject to public records requests but can be shared with other law enforcement agencies for official purposes if access is documented. Access to license plate images and data is limited to 48 hours after an incident unless a judge issues a warrant or an attorney issues a subpoena, with specific exceptions for vehicle owner consent, lost or stolen vehicle reports, exigent circumstances, and certain alerts like Amber Alerts. The bill also requires password-protected systems to track all data access and mandates annual system audits. Violating these provisions, such as willfully accessing or disseminating data improperly, is classified as a Class 6 felony.