Public commenter urges removal of DMV Real‑ID upload proposal; subcommittee voices privacy concerns

Edward Hasbrook, identifying himself as a representative of the Identity Project, urged California Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 to remove from the budget a Department of Motor Vehicles proposal that would upload California driver license records to a state‑to‑state identity database and would partially repeal parts of AB 60 to allow that sharing. "The only way to keep this data out of federal hands is not to upload it," Hasbrook told the subcommittee, warning federal or out‑of‑state law enforcement could obtain the records once they are in the shared system, possibly under gag orders.

The chair of the subcommittee said the panel has significant concerns about the proposal as described by the commenter and earlier in hearings. The chair repeatedly framed the issue as a privacy and security question, saying the Senate will continue working with the Assembly and the administration to improve protections within any state‑to‑state program "prior to providing any funding and any authority." The chair also noted uncertainty about sharing records with out‑of‑state, non‑governmental entities referenced in testimony.

The testimony and the chair’s comments focused on two technical policy points Hasbrook raised: the scope of records proposed for upload (including records tied to AB 60 driver licenses) and the prospect that the national/state‑to‑state system could permit access to those records by federal or out‑of‑state agencies when compelled by warrant or subpoena. Hasbrook warned that once uploaded, data identifiers such as placeholder values for missing Social Security numbers could still permit identification and access.

The subcommittee did not take final action on the DMV proposal during this vote‑only hearing. The chair said the Senate will continue negotiations and seek improvements to privacy and security before approving funding or statutory authority. Members encouraged interested parties who were not able to testify to submit written comments for the official hearing record.

What happens next: The chair said staff will continue discussions with the administration and the Assembly. No vote on the DMV state‑to‑state upload proposal was recorded during this hearing; the chair indicated funding or authority will not be advanced until privacy and security concerns are addressed.