Florida lawmakers were pushing to revise CS/BS 298 Wednesday, dealing with the installation of tracking devices.
The bill is proposing a revision of exceptions to a prohibition on the installation of tracking devices or applications, to specify that the exceptions applies only to private investigations under certain circumstances.
According to Sen. Greg Evers of District 2, the revisions will only enable private investigators to use tracking devices under two circumstances.
“This bill clarifies that private investigators are permitted to use them, but only in two cases,” Evers said. “Number one, in a case where it’s already authorized by statute and that person can hire a private investigator to assist them and the second is by lawful court order. That is what the bill does.”
Evers explained the tracking devices were not approved in the previous bill.
“The bill allows for private investigators to use tracking devices because they were prohibited last year in the bill. They were neglected,” Evers said.
According to the bill certain business entities are exempt from this law.
Sen. Audrey Gibson of District 9 said the tracking devices would prevent theft from occurring.
“If you own a company and some of your inventory seems to be getting stolen or it isn’t making it to all of it’s destinations you can hire a private investigator to put a tracking device on your truck and you will be able to track it or tell whether someone is stopping in between where it’s supposed to be going,” Gibson said.
This bill is still under debate and has been placed on Special Order Calendar for March 3.
During the meeting a variety of bills were discussed, including CS/BS 960 which proposes a protection of motor vehicle dealers’ consumer data.
This proposal requires that a licensee or a third party comply with certain restrictions on reuse or disclosure of consumer data received from a motor vehicle dealer. The bill also is requiring that upon request of a motor vehicle dealer a licensee provide a list of the consumer data obtained and all persons to whom any of the data has been disclosed, subject to certain requirements.
Sen. Rob Bradley of District 7 explained the bill’s main focus is to protect personal information.
“The purpose of this bill is to protect nonpublic personal information of Florida consumers that is collected in storage digitally by motor vehicle dealers,” Bradley said.
For more information on the Florida Senate you can visit the web sight at Flsenate.gov.