Committee hears testimony on bill to let abuse victims disconnect vehicle tracking

The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony this week on provisions of H.223 that would let victims of domestic violence disable factory-installed vehicle tracking without first obtaining a protection order.

Committee Chair (unnamed) opened the hearing by saying the committee would “take a look at ... H 2 2 3” and noted that “sections 1 and 3 were moved into H 2 2 2 … But there are 2 sections left, section 2 and 4,” before calling the first witness.

The provision under consideration would address what witnesses called a legal and technical loophole that lets abusers use connected‑car telematics and mobile apps to locate, surveil or remotely control another person’s vehicle. “I’m a survivor of technology facilitated abuse,” said Annie Bridal, a private attorney and co‑chair of the New York Cyber Abuse Task Force, who testified about the risks of “tech abuse” and why state law is needed. Bridal told the committee the Vermont provision is “commendably…