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House passes bill letting victims suspend remote access to vehicles after protective orders
Summary
Lawmakers approved legislation to require manufacturers to disable remote‑access vehicle features for people who present a protective order, and to shield manufacturers from litigation by the alleged abuser; sponsors said the bill protects victims of stalking and harassment using vehicle apps.
The House approved HB74, a measure requiring vehicle manufacturers to provide a process that allows people with a valid protective order to suspend remote access and tracking features on vehicles when a safety concern is shown. The bill, carried by the speaker pro tem, was presented as a targeted privacy and safety measure to protect domestic‑violence victims from remote control and tracking functions embedded in modern connected vehicles.
Supporters described real‑world incidents in which an abuser used a dealership‑provisioned app or manufacturer portal to lock or track a vehicle and to harass or follow a victim; sponsors said those incidents have led to threats and violence in other states. The bill requires manufacturers to create an online suspension portal and to suspend remote access upon receipt of a completed suspension request form and certified copy of a protective order. The text also contains provisions protecting manufacturers from a suit by the alleged abuser for disabling a remote connection and creates a small survivor empowerment fund financed by civil penalties if a manufacturer fails to honor the process.
Representative Mike Johnson, the bill sponsor on the floor, summarized the purpose: “This legislation simply protects victims of domestic abuse from abusers who use the remote access and the vehicle technology on their automobile bills to stalk, harass, or control them remotely.” Debate on the measure was relatively brief. Supporters said manufacturers had agreed in committee to the bill’s fundamental approach and to language ensuring that complying with a suspension request would not expose them to liability from the other party.
The House passed HB74 by recorded voice vote on the floor and later on the transcript recorded as unanimous (100–0 by machine tally reported in the record), sending the bill toward the Senate. Implementation will require manufacturers to provide the portal and procedures described in the statute; sponsors said penalties in the bill would fund a survivor empowerment account if manufacturers fail to honor requests.
