HB 27-04: Sticking a Middle Finger to Big Brother Act (Passed)

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Nay. Nice try attempting to sabotage the entire bill.

[S019]

So, as someone who has had some qualms about this bill, I just have to say Jessica's amendment is totally irrelevant and it is basically virtue-signaling, mixed in with some dog-whistling too, I urge my elected officials to vote down this horrid amendment.

[Poirot]

aye
I'm uneasy with giving financial penalty to police. It should follow the law not because there is a potential penalty.

[Joseph Cao]

I am not terribly enthused by this amendment. However, in my opinion, it divides into two parts: the actual meat, i.e. the striking of Section 1(i), and rhetorical fluff which does not really belong in this bill but is nevertheless functionally harmless. I will vote Aye on the amendment for this reason, but as 1(b)(ii) more or less blows a hole in the entire bill – the point of which is, after all, to eliminate the potential for abuse of facial recognition technology – expect an amendment striking that clause to arrive on the House floor shortly.

[Joseph Cao]

And since everyone has voted, I'll close the vote.

By a vote of 5-4-0-0, this amendment passes.

[Joseph Cao]

Anyway, as promised:

Sticking a Middle Finger to Big Brother Act

Be it enacted in both houses of Congress assembled,

Section 1. Saving Face
a. A "facial recognition camera" is any camera which includes a feature to recognize a person's face.
b. All facial recognition cameras, with the following exceptions, are hereby banned in the Republic of Atlasia.
  i. Smartphones, tablets, and other personal, mobile devices not permanently mounted to a surface shall be exempt from this law.
  ii. Section 1(b) shall not cover the police or federal law enforcement agencies.
c. "Permanently mounted" is defined as any electronic device that ceases to function if unplugged from a power outlet
d Owners of such devices shall have until July 1, 2021 to dispose of them.
e. Owners may report the exact model to a government website where they will be sent directions to their local police station.
f. Local police stations will collect cameras that are brought to them and provide reimbursement for the value of when the model first reached the public market, adjusted for inflation. These cameras will be turned over to the federal government at once.
g. Manufacturers of such devices shall immediately cease production of all such devices. They shall be reimbursed for the costs of their stockpile using current market price if they turn their stockpile over to the federal government.
h. Any person or entity found in violation of parts 2(c) and 2(d) may be fined an amount not to exceed $5,000, and shall have such device confiscated.

Section 2: The federal government of Atlasia supports our police!
a. We the federal government of Atlasia supports and backs our law enforcement
  i. We thank them for keeping our cities and society safe from the drags of society.
  ii. We the federal government of Atlasia fully supports their mission.

1(b)(ii) has been struck in order to keep the bill on course to actually be of value; the surveillance state is not deserving of a loophole here, to be quite frank.

I would say that Jessica is quite welcome to offer Section 2 as a separate piece of legislation if she is so inclined, but it's been a philosophy of mine and of previous sessions of Congress to keep bills as relevant to their task as possible, which is why that section has been excised.

Sponsor feedback would, as always, be appreciated.

[Left Wing]

Yeah this amendment would be an improvement, Section 2 is almost a complete non-sequitur and I would like to see it removed. I do worry that police stations will not turn over these cameras without any incentive, as they frequently break federal guidelines but this is a start on restoring the bill to it's original intent.

[OBD]

Now that we have entered a new Congress, I hope our new members will be receptive to restoring the bill to its original state - both without the unrelated police pork and with a clause that will hold police departments that violate this law accountable.

[Joseph Cao]

Yeah this amendment would be an improvement, Section 2 is almost a complete non-sequitur and I would like to see it removed. I do worry that police stations will not turn over these cameras without any incentive, as they frequently break federal guidelines but this is a start on restoring the bill to it's original intent.

I appreciate the feedback, which appears to be friendly, though a clarifying word on that is always welcome because I am an incurable pedant about such things.

24 hours to object to its adoption.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

I'm confused. With this last post, are you asking for any objections to the amendment that lets cops abuse their power and gushes over them? Or are you asking for objections to the removal of those parts?

[Poirot]

The federal agencies could use facial recognition for security. Could be for spotting terrorists at airports. That is different from a camera in a store.

[Joseph Cao]

I'm confused. With this last post, are you asking for any objections to the amendment that lets cops abuse their power and gushes over them? Or are you asking for objections to the removal of those parts?

The amendment that lets cops abuse their power, as you put it, was just struck from this bill courtesy of the amendment I offered. This amendment, which I have just offered, is the current subject of my question about possible objections. I am therefore asking for objections to the removal of the offending sections. Hope that clears things up.

[Joseph Cao]

Without objections, my amendment is adopted.

[OBD]

Wait, are police body cameras covered under this act? While I'm generally against the surveillance state body cameras might be a good way to hold the police accountable.

I will also offer the following amendment to restore the bill to its original form and add a clause to hold the police accountable. Hopefully the new Congress will be receptive to this change.

Sticking a Middle Finger to Big Brother Act

Be it enacted in both houses of Congress assembled,

Section 1. Saving Face
a. A "facial recognition camera" is any camera which includes a feature to recognize a person's face.
b. All facial recognition cameras, with the following exceptions, are hereby banned in the Republic of Atlasia.
  i. Smartphones, tablets, and other personal, mobile devices not permanently mounted to a surface shall be exempt from this law.
c. "Permanently mounted" is defined as any electronic device that ceases to function if unplugged from a power outlet
d Owners of such devices shall have until July 1, 2021 to dispose of them.
e. Owners may report the exact model to a government website where they will be sent directions to their local police station.
f. Local police stations will collect cameras that are brought to them and provide reimbursement for the value of when the model first reached the public market, adjusted for inflation. These cameras will be turned over to the federal government at once.
g. Manufacturers of such devices shall immediately cease production of all such devices. They shall be reimbursed for the costs of their stockpile using current market price if they turn their stockpile over to the federal government.
h. Any person or entity found in violation of parts 2(c) and 2(d) may be fined an amount not to exceed $5,000, and shall have such device confiscated.
i. Any police department which fails to turn over cameras received will lose 50% of it's federal funding for a minimum of one fiscal year.

[SevenEleven]

Alright, awaiting feedback from the sponsor.

[Left Wing]

OBD’s amendment is friendly. The penalty for not turning these over is essential to make sure the departments follow federal guidelines.

[Rep Jessica]

The hate for the police is mind blowing. Why shouldn't they have the latest tech? They get to use dna and other tech for decades.

[Poirot]

The threat of a penalty if police doesn't follow the law was removed earlier. Police should comply because it's the law, the use of a threat could be seen as the House viewing all police as rogue.

[OBD]

I disagreed with the striking of that provision and with the swearing-in of a new House I hope to see it reinstated. Regardless of our feelings about the police, there must be a appropriately severe penalty to ensure that they follow the law. Otherwise they'd be free to violate its provisions with a slap on the wrist as the sole punishment.

I motion for a final vote as soon as consideration of this amendment concludes.

[SevenEleven]

OBD’s amendment is friendly. The penalty for not turning these over is essential to make sure the departments follow federal guidelines.

24 hrs to object.

[Poirot]

We don't put in all bills a financial threat to force police to do something.
If a police department somewhere doesn't comply you can take legal action.
Cutting half of funding would penalize the community.

[Rep Jessica]

I object and ask for the bill to be tabled.

[SevenEleven]

Sticking a Middle Finger to Big Brother Act

Be it enacted in both houses of Congress assembled,

Section 1. Saving Face
a. A "facial recognition camera" is any camera which includes a feature to recognize a person's face.
b. All facial recognition cameras, with the following exceptions, are hereby banned in the Republic of Atlasia.
  i. Smartphones, tablets, and other personal, mobile devices not permanently mounted to a surface shall be exempt from this law.
c. "Permanently mounted" is defined as any electronic device that ceases to function if unplugged from a power outlet
d Owners of such devices shall have until July 1, 2021 to dispose of them.
e. Owners may report the exact model to a government website where they will be sent directions to their local police station.
f. Local police stations will collect cameras that are brought to them and provide reimbursement for the value of when the model first reached the public market, adjusted for inflation. These cameras will be turned over to the federal government at once.
g. Manufacturers of such devices shall immediately cease production of all such devices. They shall be reimbursed for the costs of their stockpile using current market price if they turn their stockpile over to the federal government.
h. Any person or entity found in violation of parts 2(c) and 2(d) may be fined an amount not to exceed $5,000, and shall have such device confiscated.
i. Any police department which fails to turn over cameras received will lose 50% of it's federal funding for a minimum of one fiscal year.

A vote on the above amendment is now open.

[OBD]

Aye.

Also reminding the speaker that a motion to vote has been made and should be considered directly after this amendment vote closes.

[SevenEleven]

Aye.