License plate camera limits passed the House 190-13. The Senate hasn't picked the bill up

Pennsylvania has no state law saying who can use automated license plate readers, what the cameras can record or how long the data can be kept. The state House voted 190-13 on Oct. 19 to change that, passing a bill that limits how police and others can use the cameras sold by companies like Flock, City & State Pennsylvania reported.

The cameras sit on poles and patrol cars across the state and log the plates of passing vehicles. If you drive, you have likely been recorded by one. Whether those records can be searched, shared or kept is the question the bill tries to answer.

Under House Bill 2771, the cameras could not be used for personal, political or commercial purposes, according to City & State. Police use would be limited to cases involving outstanding warrants for homicides and other felonies, stolen vehicles, missing people and traffic violations. The systems could not take front-facing images or identify drivers, passengers or what is inside a car, and users would need training approved by the state police and the municipal police training commission.

The sponsor, Rep. Jennifer O'Mara, a Delaware County Democrat, said the cameras have been "very useful and very impactful" for police but need guardrails against misuse, City & State reported. Gov. Josh Shapiro has said, "Flock cameras are not a tool that I support," according to the same report.

What the records add

Who signed on. The bill page lists 19 co-sponsors: 18 Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Mark Gillen.

A divided committee. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill on Oct. 5 by a 14-12 party-line vote. Every Democrat voted yes. Every Republican voted no, including the committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Rob Kauffman of Franklin County. Kauffman told Spotlight PA the issue "requires far more digging in and deep compromise," and said lawmakers do not want the cameras used to create "a surveillance state."

The floor fights. On Oct. 7, the House took up 11 amendments, according to the bill's vote list. Rep. Brenda Pugh, a Republican, offered nine. Eight passed with no more than one no vote (example, roll call 1484). Her ninth failed 100-103. Amendments from Republican Reps. Dallas Kephart and Josh Bashline were set aside on 103-100 motions to table (roll call 1481). After that, the House Appropriations Committee sent the bill out 37-0.

The final vote. The final passage roll call was 190-13:

• Democrats: 102 yes, 1 no (Rep. Manuel Guzman, who is listed as a co-sponsor)
• Republicans: 88 yes, 12 no

The Republican no votes were Reps. Scott Barger, Timothy Bonner, Bud Cook, Barbara Gleim, Joshua Kail, David Maloney, Brian Rasel, John Schlegel, Craig Staats, Tim Twardzik, Eric Weaknecht and David Zimmerman. Bonner told City & State he backed the limits but objected to leaving out misdemeanor cases involving serious crimes. Kauffman and Pugh, who voted no in committee, voted yes on final passage. The roll call doesn't record why members voted as they did.

How fast it moved. The bill was introduced Sept. 14 and passed the House 35 days later.

What happens next

As of Oct. 24, the bill's history shows no Senate committee referral. The Senate session calendar lists two voting days, Nov. 17 and 18, after the election. Spotlight PA reported that it is unclear whether the Senate will vote on the bill this year.

If the Senate does not pass it before the session ends, the bill dies and would have to be reintroduced in January. Lawmakers in both chambers have introduced other plate reader bills, including proposals to ban the cameras outright, Route Fifty reported in August. We noted the bill among those at risk in our end-of-session roundup.