Senate Committee Approves Legislation Addressing Use of Chips in Identification Documents
The Senate Judiciary Committee this week voted to approve a bill (SB 682) that would limit the use of radio frequency identification chips in state-issued personal-identification documents, including health insurance or benefits cards, CNET News/New York Times reports.
The bill, by Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), would prohibit the inclusion of chips that can be read remotely in identity documents. RFID chips can broadcast such information as name, address and date of birth to special receivers at close range.
The bill would permit the use of RFID chips in some cases, including hospitals' use of electronic IDs for infants (Gilbert, CNET News/New York Times, 4/28).