In one paragraph
Tennessee's HB2608 (114th General Assembly), the "Protecting Everyone from Excessive Police Surveillance (PEEPS) Act," would have barred government officials, including government contractors, from accessing a database (including license plate, facial recognition, biometric or cellular location data) that reveals a person's or vehicle's location more than 24 hours earlier, except with a felony search warrant, consent, exigent circumstances or other listed cases. Companion: SB 2215. Not passed before the session ended in April 2026; last action: Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee (March 25, 2026).
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
Not law. If enacted, it would have limited government access to location data from license plate readers, cameras and facial recognition databases, binding government contractors, and barred selling such data to private third parties.
Key provisions
- Prohibits a government official (an officer, employee, agent, contractor or representative of a governmental entity) from accessing a database that reveals historical location data unless an exception applies
- Historical location data reveals an individual's or vehicle's location more than 24 hours before access; a database may be publicly or privately owned and include photos and videos, license plate, facial recognition, biometric or cellular location data
- Exceptions: a search warrant (not a subpoena) in a felony investigation, a criminal defendant's preservation request, informed and express consent of all individuals revealed, a lost or stolen vehicle report with the owner's consent, and exigent circumstances
- Further exception for use solely for toll, traffic or parking enforcement, or information security needed to implement the act
- Except as allowed, officials and governmental entities that collect the data could not share it outside their scope of employment or sell or convey it to a private third party; collecting entities would have to adopt and observe a written policy
- Status: last action Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee on March 25, 2026; companion SB 2215; not passed before the 114th General Assembly ended in April 2026
Latest legislative action
Mar 25, 2026. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
Sponsors (showing 5 of 7)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Cochran | Primary |
| Harris | Primary |
| Hulsey | Primary |
| Lundberg | Primary |
| Mitchell | Primary |
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error