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Bill to regulate license plate readers advances in Senate committee process after amendments
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee advanced a bill Monday that would put regulations on license plate readers across the commonwealth.
The legislation, sponsored by Del. Charniele Herring, D-Fairfax, would limit automatic license plate readers to be used; only as part of a criminal investigation where there is a reasonable suspicion that a crime was committed; as part of an active investigation related to a missing or endangered person; or to receive notifications related to a missing or endangered person, a person with an outstanding warrant, a person associated with human trafficking, a stolen vehicle or a stolen license plate.
This legislation hit a brief roadblock last Monday before receiving a second chance at the end of the meeting. The committee initially voted to kill the bill on a 6-9 vote, but Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Fairfax, brought it up for reconsideration at the end of the meeting, which allowed for changes to be made and then another vote to take place.
In the original legislation, data from the readers would be destroyed after 30 days. It was amended Monday to reduce the time to 21 days.
