By: Harrison H.B. No. 961       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the use of automatic license plate readers by a law   enforcement agency.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 750, Transportation Code, is amended by   adding Section 750.004 to read as follows:          Sec. 750.004.  AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER. (a)  In this   section, "automatic license plate reader" means a system that reads   and records license plate numbers taken from digital photographs.          (b)  A law enforcement agency may use an automatic license   plate reader only as authorized by a warrant or court order.          (c)  Images and any related data produced from an automatic   license plate reader used by a law enforcement agency may be used   only for the purpose of investigating a criminal offense that is a   violent offense as defined in Article 17.50(a)(3), Code of Criminal   Procedure.          (d)  Images and any related data produced from an automatic   license plate reader used by a law enforcement agency must be   destroyed promptly after collection unless the image or data is   from a motor vehicle that:                (1)  is involved in a criminal offense described by   Subsection (c) or an ongoing criminal investigation of such an   offense; or                (2)  is registered to a person who is involved in a   criminal offense described by Subsection (c) or an ongoing criminal   investigation of such an offense.          (e)  A law enforcement agency may not enter into an agreement   with a person to provide images or any related data produced from an   automatic license plate reader to the person except for a purpose   otherwise authorized by this section.          (f)  A law enforcement agency that uses an automatic license   plate reader in accordance with this section shall:                (1)  adopt a policy regarding the agency's use of   automatic license plate readers;                (2)  annually compile a report regarding the agency's   use of automatic license plate readers, including:                      (A)  the number of license plates scanned by the   agency; and                      (B)  the number of license plate scans that the   agency used in an investigation that led to the arrest or   prosecution of a person; and                (3)  annually publish the policy described by   Subdivision (1) and the report described by Subdivision (2) on the   agency's publicly accessible Internet website.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.