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Committee advances bill allowing optional electronic driver's licenses with privacy and verification safeguards
Summary
House Bill 1970, as amended, would let PennDOT issue optional electronic driver's licenses and IDs (complementing a required physical credential) with strict privacy, verification, and third-party contract limits; the committee adopted a comprehensive amendment and reported the bill.
Chairman Nielsen introduced House Bill 1970, which would authorize PennDOT to issue optional electronic driver's licenses and identification cards while maintaining a required physical product. Staffer Kyle summarized Amendment A02695, a comprehensive package negotiated over two years with PennDOT, the state police and other stakeholders that would allow PennDOT to contract with third-party wallet providers, require limited data collection, strict security and privacy safeguards, opt-out choices for users, and an annual PennDOT report to the General Assembly.
"The exhibition of an electronic product by a licensee does not serve as consent for a police officer to search or access any other data or application on the device," Kyle said, describing protections to prevent incidental access. Chairman Nielsen said the amendment strengthens privacy, security and verification requirements and urged support. Chairman Benninghoff asked the record to reflect Representative Hamm would be a no on the amendment; the amendment was adopted and the committee reported HB 1970 as amended, with Rep. Hamm later recorded as a no on the final bill.
Supporters described the bill as modernization to improve convenience and TSA compliance; opponents recorded in the transcript were limited to a single no vote from Rep. Hamm. The committee reported the bill as amended and it will move forward with the committee recommendation.
