Oregon lawmakers are advancing a measure that would make it a crime to attach a tracking device, also known as a GPS device, to another person's vehicle without their permission.
Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, said the bill would be another tool to crack down on stalkers.
He said the misuse of GPS devices came to his attention when a woman in Springfield became the unwitting recipient of such a device on her car.
"It wasn't until she had work done on the car that the repair people noticed the box, told her what it was, and that's when law enforcement got involved," said Prozanski. "And we realized there was no crime for this."
Prozanski said a police investigation found the woman’s ex-boyfriend put the unit there.
Under the bill, placing a GPS device on another person's vehicle without their knowledge would be a misdemeanor. But if the defendant was the subject of a restraining order or had previous stalking convictions, the crime would be considered a felony.
The bill does not apply to law enforcement officers who have a warrant or court order allowing them to place the device on a vehicle.
The measure cleared the Oregon Senate 29-0 and now heads to the Oregon House.
