2014 -- H 7461

========

LC004331

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE

READER SYSTEM

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Valencia, Handy, Ajello, Walsh, and Tanzi

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2014

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

     SECTION 1. Title 31 of the General Laws entitled "MOTOR AND OTHER

2

VEHICLES" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

3

CHAPTER 54

4

AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS

5

     31-54-1. Definitions. – For the purposes of this section:

6

     (1) "Automated license plate reader system" means a system of one or more mobile or

7

fixed automated high-speed cameras used in combination with computer algorithms to convert

8

images of license plates into computer-readable data.

9

     (2) "Captured plate data" means the GPS coordinates, date and time, photograph, license

10

plate number, and any other data captured by or derived from any automatic license plate reader

11

system.

12

     (3) "Alert" means data held by the department of motor vehicles, the state criminal justice

13

information system, the national crime information center, the FBI kidnappings and missing

14

persons list, and the Rhode Island missing children clearinghouse.

15

     (4) "Governmental entity" has been given meaning in § 37-2-7(29).

16

     31-54-2. Restrictions on use. – (a) Except as provided for in subsection (b) herein, it

17

shall be unlawful for any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or the state of Rhode

18

Island, its agencies, and political subdivisions to use an automated license plate reader system.

 

1

     (b) Automated license plate reader systems may be used for the purposes of identifying:

2

     (1) Outstanding parking or traffic violations;

3

     (2) A vehicle registered to an individual for whom there is an outstanding warrant;

4

     (3) A vehicle associated with a missing person; or

5

     (4) For the purpose of electronic toll collection.

6

     31-54-3. Security of records. – (a) Data captured in accordance with § 31-54-2 shall not

7

be used or shared for any other purpose; provided, that aggregate data not containing personal

8

identifying information may be released.

9

     (b) All recorded images that do not identify a violation shall be destroyed within forty-

10

eight (48) hours of the time the image was recorded, unless ordered by a court of competent

11

jurisdiction.

12

     (c) All recorded images that identify a violation shall be destroyed within one year after

13

the citation is resolved by administrative payment, trial, or other final disposition, unless ordered

14

by a court of competent jurisdiction.

15

     (d) Any entity that uses automated license plate reader systems pursuant to § 31-54-2

16

shall update those systems from the databases enumerated therein every twenty-four (24) hours if

17

such updates are available or as soon as practicable thereafter.

18

     (e) Entities authorized to use automated license plate reader systems in accordance with §

19

31-54-2 shall not sell, trade, or exchange captured plate data for any purpose.

20

     31-54-4. Traffic violation procedure. – If a vehicle is identified under this chapter as

21

possessing outstanding parking or traffic violations, the following information shall be sent to the

22

registered owner within fourteen (14) days of identification:

23

     (1) A copy of the recorded image taken as proof of the violation;

24

     (2) A signed statement by a trained law enforcement officer that, based on inspection of

25

recorded images, the motor vehicle was properly identified according to this statute;

26

     (3) A statement that the vehicle identified met the criteria of § 31-52-2(b); and

27

     (4) A list of the violations, including, but not limited to, the nature of the violation, and

28

the location and date of the violation.

29

     31-54-5. Reporting. – Any entity that uses automated license plate reader systems

30

pursuant to § 31-54-2 shall:

31

     (1) Adopt a policy governing use of the system and conspicuously post the policy on the

32

entity’s Internet website;

33

     (2) Adopt a privacy policy to ensure that captured plate data is not shared in violation of

34

this act or any other law and conspicuously post the privacy policy on the entity’s Internet

 

LC004331 - Page 2 of 4

1

website;

2

     (3) Report annually its automated license plate reader system practices and usage to the

3

state or local agency that governs the entity. The report shall also be conspicuously posted on the

4

entity’s Internet website. The report shall include:

5

     (i) The number of license plates scanned;

6

     (ii) The names of the lists against which captured plate data was checked, the number of

7

confirmed matches, and the number of matches that upon further investigation did not correlate to

8

an alert;

9

     (iii) The number of matches that resulted in citation, arrest or prosecution;

10

     (iv) The number of violations resolved by mail;

11

     (v) The number of violations dismissed after trial or hearing;

12

     (vi) The cost to maintain the automated license plate reader system; and

13

     (vii) The amount of revenue obtained from the automated license plate reader system.

14

     31-54-6. Use of evidence in criminal and civil cases. – Any evidence obtained as a

15

result of an automated license plate reader system use prohibited by § 31-54-2 shall be

16

inadmissible in any judicial proceeding. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to preclude

17

any investigation otherwise based upon any legally sufficient cause.

18

     31-54-7. Penalties. – In any civil action alleging a violation of this chapter, the court

19

may:

20

     (1) Award to a prevailing plaintiff punitive damages in addition to any award of actual

21

damages, and reasonable attorneys’ fees; and

22

     (2) Afford injunctive relief against any individual or entity who commits or proposes to

23

commit a violation of this chapter.

24

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC004331

========

 

LC004331 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE

READER SYSTEM

***

1

     This act would create an automated license plate reader system. It would make it

2

unlawful for any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or the state of Rhode Island, its

3

agencies and political subdivisions to use an automated license plate reader system, except for

4

outstanding parking or traffic violations, identifying a vehicle registered to one for whom there is

5

an outstanding warrant, identifying a vehicle associated with a missing person, or for the purpose

6

of electronic toll collection.

7

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC004331

========

 

LC004331 - Page 4 of 4