Provides for municipal and state police authorities to acquire and to utilize automated license plate readers. Further, the act identifies what data may be collected and in what ways the data can be used.
Impact
One of the critical aspects of H5659 is the requirement for municipal law enforcement agencies to obtain approval from city or town councils before acquiring or using ALPRs or their data. This requirement promotes local governance and accountability, ensuring that community representatives engage in discussions about the use of such surveillance technology. It mandates that any funding, acquisition, or agreements involving ALPRs must go through a public hearing process, which is intended to foster transparency in law enforcement activities. Additionally, law enforcement must adopt policies regarding the operation of ALPR systems, emphasizing the importance of training for officers utilizing this technology.
Summary
House Bill 5659 (H5659) is introduced to regulate the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) by municipal and state law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island. The bill outlines the definition of ALPRs and the permitted uses of the data collected from these devices. An ALPR is defined as a device that records and compares license plates against law enforcement databases to aid in investigations, while excluding devices used solely for speed detection or other traffic-related purposes. The specific regulations aim to ensure that data collection is focused primarily on law enforcement and public safety applications, such as identifying stolen vehicles and locating missing persons.
Contention
The bill also stipulates firm regulations about how collected data can be used. For instance, data obtained cannot be used for identifying occupants within vehicles or for purposes outside of those defined in the bill. This helps address privacy concerns associated with the potential misuse of surveillance technology. Furthermore, if any agency violates the provisions of this chapter, the attorney general is empowered to seek legal remedies, including injunctions to prevent continued violations. This aspect of the legislation underscores the state's intention to balance law enforcement needs with individual rights to privacy and civil liberties.
Overall_impact
Overall, H5659 represents a significant legislative effort to regulate the use of surveillance technology in Rhode Island. By establishing clear guidelines and oversight methods for the use of automated license plate readers, the bill attempts to strike a balance between enhancing public safety and preserving the rights of citizens against unwarranted surveillance. The bill's effectiveness will depend on proper implementation and compliance by law enforcement agencies as well as ongoing public discourse around its implications.
Provides for municipal and state police authorities to acquire and to utilize automated license plate readers. Further, the act identifies what data may be collected and in what ways the data can be used.
Makes changes to the access to public records act, including clarifying various provisions, increasing the sanctions for knowing and willful violations of the law, and making certain traffic accident data and preferred license plate information public.
Makes changes to the access to public records act, including clarifying various provisions, increasing the sanctions for knowing and willful violations of the law, and making certain traffic accident data and preferred license plate information public.
Authorizes the use of automated traffic violation monitoring systems for all traffic signal laws, including the "Don't Block the Box Statute" and allows for jurisdiction of the Don't Block the Box statute violations to be within a municipal court.
Authorizes the use of automated traffic violation monitoring systems for all traffic signal laws, including the "Don't Block the Box Statute" and allows for jurisdiction of the Don't Block the Box statute violations to be within a municipal court.
Requires that the license plates of a vehicle be confiscated by a police officer if the owner was arrested for driving while their license was suspended, revoked or cancelled for refusing to submit to a chemical test or for operating under the influence.
Allows temporary vehicle registration and plates issued to Rhode Island residents by another state to be valid; provided that, the plates and registration issued to an out-of-state resident by a Rhode Island seller are valid in that other state.
Includes municipal detention facility corporations as exempt from taxation, and requires that an amount equal to twenty-seven percent (27%) of all tax that would have been collected if the property was taxable be paid to the municipality annually.