SB 29: Prohibition of RFID tags for the purpose of taking attendance in public schools

Summary

Although the technology has been around since World War II, state and local governments have recently begun incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices into identification documents such as student IDs and passports. Citizens are compelled to carry these RFID-enabled devices, which broadcast personal information and often lack meaningful privacy and security protections. As a result, government is forcing citizens to carry devices that compromise their safety.

SB 29 responds to this problem by putting parents in the driver’s seat when it comes to the RFID-enabled devices that schools issue to their kids. To this end, SB 29 would do two things:

• Notice—First, SB 29 would require schools that voluntarily choose to issue RFID-enabled devices to kids—such as an ID or building access card—to tell parents how the technology used in the device works, what the privacy and security risks are, and what the school has done to make sure the devices it’s using are compliant with student privacy laws.
  
• Consent—Second, SB 29 would require the affirmative consent of a parent before a school could compel a student to carry an RFID-enabled device that is designed to track that student’s physical location, or record his or her attendance at school.

SB 29 – Prohibition of RFID tags for the purpose of taking attendance in public schools

SB 29 FACT SHEET

Final Status and Text: 
SB 29 is no longer active. Its final status was: Vetoed by the Governor