Survivors of Domestic Abuse in Louisiana may have the means to reclaim their privacy and safety. House Bill 74, authored by Representative Mike Johnson, requires manufacturers to disable tracking features in vehicles when requested by the survivor of abuse. HB 74 applies when a survivor is able to provide proof of ownership and a protective order. No fees or contact with the abuser are required. Manufacturers could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The fines will be directed into a new Survivor Empowerment Fund to support victims statewide. Louisiana is the first state in our country to pass such legislation, which passed through both House and Senate chambers unanimously. Hopefully the legislation will hinder abusers from using vehicle tracking as a form of control. House Bill 74 has been sent to Governor Landry for executive approval.
A stalking victim’s story inspired the new law, the nation’s first. You imagine your stalker knows your every move and you cannot figure out how. This is the story of a Louisiana native, whose stalker was her ex-husband who found a loophole. After divorcing and filing several protective orders, she moved back to her hometown, cutting off all communication, yet her ex would call her with every move she made. She moved out of state, but it did no good. He knew her every move.
She feared he would show up wherever she was and kill her. She says, “It will steal your soul, and you will never understand until you live through it.” Finally, she found out that he was tracking her through her car’s GPS system, which was still connected to his phone after the divorce. With the assistance of law enforcement, search warrants uncovered that her ex had been tracking her up to twenty times daily.
It was a technicality over ownership. Her ex’s better credit score led her to accept community ownership of the car during the divorce, meaning his name was still on the title. The car manufacturer refused to comply with the law’s request to remover her ex from the software.
With the Governor’s signature, car manufacturers would be held liable in court should they refuse to comply. Hopefully, there will be a law in place that recognizes how abusers use new technology to maintain power and control over their victim.