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From staff reports
LEWISTOWN -- State Rep. David Rowe, R-Snyder/Union/Mifflin/Juniata, is proposing legislation that would establish statewide safeguards for automated surveillance technology while giving municipalities the authority to decide whether to allow automated license plate readers within their communities.
Rowe announced the two-bill legislative package Thursday alongside Rep. Josh Bashline, R-Clarion/Armstrong.
Under Rowe’s proposal, Pennsylvania would establish statewide standards governing the use of automated surveillance technologies, including automated license plate readers and facial-recognition systems. The bill would limit the collection and retention of personally identifiable information and require judicial oversight in certain circumstances.
A companion bill sponsored by Bashline would allow municipalities to determine whether automated license plate readers could be installed within their jurisdictions.
The lawmakers said the legislation is intended to balance law enforcement’s use of surveillance technology with constitutional privacy protections under the Fourth Amendment.
“These tools can serve legitimate law enforcement purposes, but Pennsylvanians should not have to choose between public safety and their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable government surveillance,” Rowe said. “We can--and should--protect both. I believe these bills strike that balance by protecting Pennsylvanians’ privacy while ensuring that police have access to critical information in dire situations.”
Rowe said advances in surveillance technology have made it possible to collect, store and analyze information about individuals on a scale that was unimaginable a generation ago. While those capabilities can aid criminal investigations, he said they also highlight the need to ensure technological advances do not outpace Fourth Amendment protections.
Bashline said communities across Pennsylvania have different needs and should be able to decide whether automated license plate readers are appropriate for their residents.
“This legislation gives municipalities a voice while preserving the ability of law enforcement to utilize these tools where they have local support,” Bashline said.
The lawmakers have circulated a co-sponsorship memo to House members, and formal legislation is expected to be introduced in the near future.