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Senate approves driver's‑license emergency contact database after amendment limiting law‑enforcement use
Summary
House Bill 21, creating an optional driver's‑license emergency contact database, was amended on the floor to bar criminal‑investigation use of volunteered contact information and passed the Senate 27‑0. Sponsors said the database will speed next‑of‑kin notification in crashes and emergencies.
The Utah Senate amended and advanced House Bill 21 on Feb. 1, approving an optional driver's‑license emergency contact database intended to help law enforcement notify family members when a licensed driver is incapacitated.
Sponsor Senator Morgan described the bill as a voluntary program letting a license holder provide up to two emergency contacts to the Driver License Division and said it is supported by the highway patrol and local police and fire departments. “It's going to be so helpful,” Morgan said, noting that in other states similar databases have shortened notification times after accidents.
Several senators raised privacy and secondary‑use concerns, asking whether the database could be used for criminal investigations. Senator Stevenson offered Amendment 1 to ensure the information volunteers provide is not used for criminal investigations or other non‑emergency purposes; the amendment was adopted on the floor and described as friendly by both the sponsor and other senators.
Senator Robles spoke in support of the bill, highlighting how the database could help people who live alone or have family out of state be reached quickly in emergencies. With the amendment adopted, the Senate voted 27‑0 to place HB21 on the third‑reading calendar.
According to discussion on the floor, law enforcement and the Driver License Division will have guidelines restricting access and use of the emergency‑contact information; the amendment explicitly bars use for criminal investigations.
