Bill
A 3859
Rental car firms must post clear notices at return areas (or online/in agreements) urging renters to unpair devices and delete personal data from vehicle systems.
Note on document discrepancy
- The bill number provided (A-3859) in the supplied documents concerns rental car companies and deletion of personal data from vehicle systems. The one-line title you gave about workers’ compensation and in‑state pharmacies appears unrelated to the attached bill text. This summary covers the actual text and committee-amended version of A-3859 (rental car / vehicle data privacy).
Bill at a glance
- Bill number: A-3859 (Assembly)
- Subject: Rental car companies — renter personal data in vehicle computer systems / consumer notice
- Status (as of documents): Introduced 2/27/2024; reported out of Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee with amendments 10/24/2024 and referred to Assembly Transportation & Independent Authorities; later referred to Labor 1/30/2025
- Sponsors: Asm. Alixon Collazos-Gill; co-sponsors include Asm. Annette Quijano, Asm. William B. Sampson IV, and others
- Related: Companion S-2845; several prior-session analogs (A-8356, A-1250, A-1174, A-334)
Purpose / intent
- To protect renters’ personal information that can be stored in modern motor vehicle computer systems (e.g., navigation history, phone data, garage-door codes) by ensuring steps are taken at vehicle return to remove or prompt removal of that data.
Key provisions (committee‑amended version)
- Definitions: defines “motor vehicle,” “personal information” (e.g., navigation history, phone data, garage door codes), “rental car company,” and “renter.”
- Notice requirement (amendment): Requires rental car companies to post a clear notice at the vehicle return area advising renters to unpair personal devices from rented vehicles and to delete their personal information from the vehicle’s computer system upon return.
- The notice may alternatively or additionally be posted on the rental company’s website or included in the rental agreement.
- Penalties: A rental car company violating the notice requirement is subject to civil penalties enforceable by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs:
- $500 for a first offense
- $1,000 for any subsequent offense
- Penalty enforcement via summary proceedings under the Penalty Enforcement Law; Superior Court has jurisdiction over enforcement proceedings.
- Effective date (amendments): takes effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment (amended from immediate effect).
Notable change from introduced version
- Original (introduced) bill required the rental company to delete a renter’s personal information from the vehicle’s computer system when processing the vehicle return, using NIST Guidelines for Media Sanitization or manufacturer-specified reset/menu options.
- Committee amendments removed the direct duty on companies to perform the deletion and replaced it with a requirement to post notice advising renters to unpair and delete their information themselves. Amendments also added alternative posting options and delayed the effective date.
Who is affected
- Rental car companies: required to post notices at return areas (and may post online or in agreements); subject to civil penalties for noncompliance.
- Renters: expected to take action to unpair devices and delete personal data from vehicle systems when returning cars.
- Indirectly affected: vehicle manufacturers (their reset/menu instructions are referenced in the original text) and consumer protection enforcement agencies.
Practical considerations / impact
- Shifts burden from rental companies (original deletion duty) to renters (notice + self-action), reducing operational burden on companies but relying on renter compliance.
- Provides a simple consumer-protection measure (notice) focused on privacy risks from persistent vehicle-stored data.
- Enforcement via Division of Consumer Affairs could create compliance costs (signage, website/rental agreement updates) and occasional penalties for noncompliance.
Next steps / procedural posture
- Reported out of Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee with amendments (10/24/2024); referred to other Assembly committees and, as of 1/30/2025, referred to Labor. Further committee consideration, floor votes, and companion Senate action (S-2845) would be needed for enactment.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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