Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-1029

TRP 1029

Ensuring Driver Privacy with Electronic Tolling

Mr. Lesser moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting, after section __, the following new section:-

"SECTION __.  Section 13 of chapter 6C of the General Laws, amended by section 13 of chapter 46 of the acts of 2013, is hereby further amended by adding the following 5 subsections:-

(d) Any technology used for toll collection under this chapter, including radio-frequency identifying transponders, shall not be used to identify the location of any vehicle for purposes other than charging and collecting and, from time to time, fixing and revising tolls for transit under this section.

(e) No data derived from any technology used for toll collection under this chapter, including but not limited to the GPS coordinates, date and time, photograph, license plate number or other identifying information regarding any vehicle, shall be shared with or provided to any entity outside the department without a valid warrant issued pursuant to the requirements of sections 2 to 3A, inclusive, of chapter 276.

(f) Any data obtained or accessed in violation of subsection (e) shall be inadmissible in any criminal or civil proceeding; provided, however, that an individual whose rights have been violated by the improper transfer of or access to data derived from any technology used for toll collection under this chapter, may introduce evidence concerning such data in a civil action brought pursuant to subsections (h) or (i) or may grant permission to another party in a civil proceeding to introduce such evidence.

(h) Any aggrieved person may institute a civil action in district or superior court for damages resulting from a violation of subsection (e), or in superior court to restrain any such violation.  If in any such action a willful violation is found to have occurred, the violator shall not be entitled to claim any privilege absolute or qualified, and he shall, in addition to any liability for such actual damages as may be shown, be liable for exemplary damages of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 for each violation, together with costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements incurred by the person bringing the action.

(i) Any use of data obtained or accessed in violation of subsection (e) of this section shall be a violation of chapter 93A.

(j)  Notwithstanding any other law or regulation to the contrary, toll collection data, if available, may be provided to the department, the executive office of public safety and security, and Commonwealth and local law enforcement officials in situations involving an imminent and immediate threat to the safety, health, and well-being of an individual or the public, in accordance with policies and procedures developed by the department in coordination with the executive office of public safety and security. Such policies and procedures shall include, but not be limited to: (1) the procedure for determining said emergency situations that would warrant making such data available, (2) the duration the data will be made available, and (3) how the data will be made available."