Missouri committee weighs bill to curb sharing of vehicle driving data with insurers

Representative Bill Lucas told the House Committee on Insurance that House Bill 23‑24 is aimed at protecting Missourians’ control over driving data generated by modern vehicles and sold to insurers or third parties without consent.

"This bill is about individual personal freedom and the freedom from unreasonable intrusion into your life," Lucas said, framing the measure as a guard against passive collection and sale of data by vehicle manufacturers or aggregators.

Industry witnesses said the draft language would not necessarily stop manufacturers such as OnStar from selling data and cautioned that the bill could unintentionally remove insurers’ ability to offer voluntary safe‑driver discount programs. Hampton Williams of the Missouri Insurance Coalition said the bill "would not accomplish that goal" of stopping manufacturer data sales as drafted, and noted that many telematics discount programs are separate from in‑vehicle manufacturer telemetry and are voluntary programs operated by insurers.

Philip Barnson of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and others warned that imposing the bill’s restrictions on insurers could add administrative costs, create mismatches between premiums and actual risk if telematics participation changes, and limit consumer discount options. Witnesses pointed to existing federal rules (including the Fair Credit Reporting Act for some data uses) and pending litigation involving manufacturers as context for redrafting concerns.

Committee members asked whether the bill would prevent insurers from offering discounts, whether data is commonly sold, and whether targeting manufacturers directly would be a better approach. Industry witnesses encouraged a focused approach directed at manufacturers or aggregators if the sponsor’s goal is to stop involuntary collection and sale of passive vehicle telemetry.

The committee closed the public hearing after hearing both supporters and opponents and did not record further action that day.