Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB91 by Hall (Relating to the use of automatic license plate readers by a law enforcement agency.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Government Code to add a provision for automatic license plate readers (ALPR), limiting their use by a law enforcement agency. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that it currently receives Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration grants that are dedicated for the purpose of commercial vehicle screening by ALPRs. The bill would restrict DPS' use of ALPRs to only investigating a criminal offense or investigating a report of a missing person.
While the provisions of the bill would have no significant impact to state, the federal government may require reimbursement for existing grants previously awarded to the state, estimated to be $1.0 million.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.