Driver Privacy Act
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (15 Sep 2014): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 563.
What this bill does
The Driver Privacy Act would establish that data recorded by a vehicle's "event data recorder" — a device that captures information around crash events, sometimes called a black box — is the property of the vehicle's owner or, for leased vehicles, the lessee. It would generally bar anyone other than the owner or lessee from accessing that data unless one of several conditions is met: a court or other authority with jurisdiction authorizes retrieval; the owner or lessee gives written or electronic consent; the data is retrieved under existing federal motor vehicle safety investigation authority (with personal identifying information and, generally, the vehicle identification number withheld, except that the number may be shared with the certifying manufacturer); the data is needed to determine or facilitate emergency medical response after a crash; or the data is used for traffic safety research without personal identifying information. The bill also directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study and later issue regulations on how long these recorders should retain crash-related data.
The bill primarily affects vehicle owners and lessees, automakers, insurers, law enforcement, medical responders, and researchers who might seek access to event data recorder information, by setting clearer rules for when and how that data can be obtained.
The bill was introduced in January 2014 by Senator Hoeven with numerous cosponsors and referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. In September 2014, the committee reported the bill favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. It did not receive a floor vote before the end of the 113th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Driver Privacy Act - Declares that any data retained by a motor vehicle's event data recorder (as defined in Department of Transportation [DOT] regulations) is the property of the owner or lessee of the motor vehicle in which the recorder is installed, regardless of when the vehicle was manufactured.
Prohibits a person, other than the owner or lessee of the motor vehicle, from accessing data recorded or transmitted by such a recorder unless: (1) a court or other judicial or administrative authority authorizes the retrieval of such data subject to admissibility of evidence standards; (2) an owner or lessee provides written or electronic consent to such retrieval for any purpose, including vehicle diagnosis, service, or repair; (3) the data is retrieved pursuant to certain authorized investigations or inspections of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or DOT; (4) the data is retrieved to determine the appropriate emergency medical response to a motor vehicle crash; or (5) the data is retrieved for traffic safety research.
Prohibits, when data is retrieved in connection with traffic safety research or an NTSB or DOT investigation or inspection, the disclosure of: (1) personally identifiable information of the vehicle owner or lessee, and (2) the vehicle identification number (VIN). Provides an exemption from such prohibition to allow disclosure of VINs to certifying manufacturers.
Directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after completing a study and submitting a report to Congress, to promulgate regulations concerning the amount of time event data recorders installed in passenger motor vehicles should capture and record vehicle-related data in conjunction with an event in order to provide sufficient information to investigate the cause of crashes.
Timeline
15 Sep 2014
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 563.
Common questions
- What does S. 1925 do?
- The Driver Privacy Act would establish that data recorded by a vehicle's "event data recorder" — a device that captures information around crash events, sometimes called a black box — is the property of the vehicle's owner or, for leased vehicles, the lessee. It would generally bar anyone other than the owner or lessee from accessing that data unless one of several conditions is met: a court or other authority with jurisdiction authorizes retrieval; the owner or lessee gives written or electronic consent; the data is retrieved under existing federal motor vehicle safety investigation authority (with personal identifying information and, generally, the vehicle identification number withheld, except that the number may be shared with the certifying manufacturer); the data is needed to determine or facilitate emergency medical response after a crash; or the data is used for traffic safety research without personal identifying information. The bill also directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study and later issue regulations on how long these recorders should retain crash-related data. The bill primarily affects vehicle owners and lessees, automakers, insurers, law enforcement, medical responders, and researchers who might seek access to event data recorder information, by setting clearer rules for when and how that data can be obtained. The bill was introduced in January 2014 by Senator Hoeven with numerous cosponsors and referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. In September 2014, the committee reported the bill favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. It did not receive a floor vote before the end of the 113th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
- Has S. 1925 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 1925. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 1925?
- S. 1925 was sponsored by Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND), with 24 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 1925?
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 563. (15 Sep 2014).
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