Governor Ferguson signs law limiting use and sharing of automated license-plate reader data

Governor Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002 into law, saying the measure balances law enforcement uses of automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) with safeguards for sensitive personal data.

Senator Yasmin Trudeau, the bill's prime sponsor, told the signing ceremony the law "restricts the sharing of that data with federal government and other outside entities" and explicitly bars sharing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trudeau said the bill includes enforcement mechanisms that allow individuals to sue and permits the state Attorney General to pursue Consumer Protection Act claims against companies that violate the law.

Why it matters: ALPR systems collect vehicle-location and timestamped data that can reveal sensitive travel patterns. SB 6002 places limits on camera placement (prohibiting cameras near protected health-care providers, courts and immigration courts), caps data retention, and creates penalties for unauthorized access.

The bill also creates oversight tools: legislators can request audits, and qualified research institutions will have limited access to records for bona fide research subject to the bill's privacy protections, Trudeau said. She described the measure as bipartisan and said it was intended to "lay out the rules of the road" for how the technology is used.

The measure was introduced and championed as part of a broader package aimed at protecting immigrant communities. After brief remarks by sponsors, Governor Ferguson signed the bill and participants posed for photographs.

The law takes effect as provided in its text; officials at the ceremony did not outline implementation timelines or enforcement actions.