Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Privacy Location Tracking topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House Judiciary Committee advances bill to ban unauthorized location tracking
Summary
The committee unanimously supported House Bill 407, which would add an offense to the stalking statute prohibiting installation or placement of a device to track another person without permission, with enumerated exceptions and a 60-day effective date.
The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to advance House Bill 407, a measure that would amend Title 18, Section 2709.1 (stalking) to prohibit unauthorized location tracking, committee counsel said.
Committee counsel told members the bill makes it an offense “when a person installs or places a technological device on the person or property of another to track the location or movements of the person without their permission,” and that the measure includes exceptions for law enforcement, court orders, parents tracking minors, guardians tracking incapacitated persons and fleet vehicles. Counsel said the bill would take effect in 60 days and that there were no amendments.
Representative Powell, the bill sponsor, said the legislation responds to misuse of tracking technology and won support from both the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and the ACLU. “The aims of this bill…is to make sure truly that technology is not outpacing the law,” Representative Powell said, adding that officers statewide have reported devices being used to stalk people without their knowledge.
Representative Bonner asked about an exception in the bill that would allow the vehicle’s original manufacturer to install tracking equipment. “I was just curious why that exception may be there for the manufacturer to install these, not necessarily with the permission or awareness of the ultimate owner of the vehicle,” Bonner said. Representative Powell and committee counsel explained the language was negotiated with business stakeholders and said it covers factory-installed telematics systems such as OnStar; Bonner said he wanted to ensure buyers would be made aware of such equipment.
A motion to consider the bill was made and seconded and, after discussion, the secretary recorded the committee’s support as unanimous; the bill was referred to the speaker.
The committee’s action was procedural: no amendments were adopted and no recorded roll-call counts were provided in the transcript beyond the chair’s statement that the vote was unanimous. The committee said it would revisit some clarifications on manufacturer-installed devices before session next week.
