Florida Biometrics Bill Seeks to Protect Student Privacy

The Florida Senate passed a bill that will prevent schools from collecting and retaining personal information about students. Upon becoming the law, SB 0188 (2014), will place “limitations on the collection of information and the disclosure of confidential and exempt student records.”

Specifically, the bill will prevent collection of information about the political affiliation, voting history, religious affiliation, or biometric information of a student or a parent or sibling of the student.

Biometric information is the electronic measurement of “biological information, such as fingerprint characteristics, hand characteristics, eye characteristics, vocal characteristics, and any other physical characteristics used for the purpose of electronically identifying that person with a high degree of certainty.”