Senate committee advances bill limiting law enforcement use and retention of license-plate reader data

A Senate Courts of Justice Committee on-recorded hearing Wednesday reported House Bill 27 24 as amended after several hours of debate over data retention, sharing rules and oversight for automatic license-plate readers (LPRs).

The bill, carried in the House as HB 27 24 and considered in the Senate committee, would limit how long LPR data may be kept to 21 days under the proposed substitute, require officers to record the name and justification when they query LPR data, restrict most interjurisdictional sharing, and task the State Commission (the committee referred to it as the Scribe Commission) with auditing and reporting on LPR use.

Why it matters: Virginia currently has no statewide limits on LPR retention or many commonly discussed transparency safeguards. Supporters said the substitute creates statutory guardrails — including audits and public reporting — that do not exist now, while opponents argued a shorter retention window will reduce the effectiveness of LPRs for investigations.

The substitute and the compromise

Majority Leader Leah Herring, who brought the substitute forward, said the agreement reduces the retention period and adds oversight measures reached after stakeholder negotiations. "This bill limits the way data can be shared in all feasible ways, though it cannot wholly avoid Federal warrants and subpoenas," Herring said, and noted the substitute cut data retention from 30 to 21 days.

Herring also told the committee the substitute would…