Bill > A4070

This bill enacts the "Privacy Protection Act," which establishes strict limits on how government agencies and health care facilities in New Jersey can collect, share, and use sensitive personal information such as immigration status, citizenship, place of birth, social security numbers, and taxpayer identification numbers. Under the legislation, government entities and health care providers are generally prohibited from requesting or collecting this data unless it is specifically necessary to determine eligibility for public benefits, administer programs, or—in the case of medical facilities—ensure the safe and appropriate delivery of healthcare under federal laws like HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which protects sensitive patient health information). Furthermore, the bill restricts the sharing of automated license plate recognition information—data gathered by cameras and computer software that read license plates—preventing government bodies from selling or transferring it for civil immigration enforcement purposes. It also amends motor vehicle records laws to block the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission from disclosing personal information or motor vehicle records to law enforcement for immigration enforcement purposes (governed by Title 8 of the United States Code, which deals with aliens and nationality) without a valid judicial warrant or court order. Individuals whose privacy rights are violated under the act gain the ability to seek civil damages or injunctive relief in court, and unauthorized records are explicitly exempted from disclosure under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (OPRA), which normally guarantees public access to government documents.