An Act to Enable Survivors of Abuse to Disable Connected Vehicle Services

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
SECOND REGULAR SESSION-2026
Legislative Document No. 2120
H.P. 1435 House of Representatives, January 7, 2026
An Act to Enable Survivors of Abuse to Disable Connected Vehicle
Services
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule
203.
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ROBERTS of South Berwick.

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1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 25 MRSA c. 262 is enacted to read:
3CHAPTER 262
4SAFE VEHICLE ACCESS FOR SURVIVORS ACT
5§2261. Short title
6 This chapter may be known and cited as "the Safe Vehicle Access for Survivors Act.''
7§2262. Definitions
8 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms
9 have the following meanings.
101. Abuser. ''Abuser'' means an individual identified by a survivor pursuant to section
11 2264 who has committed or allegedly committed a covered act against a survivor making
12 a connected vehicle service request.
132. Account holder. ''Account holder'' means an individual who is:
14 A. A party to a contract with a covered provider that involves a connected vehicle
15 service; or
16 B. A subscriber, customer or registered user of a connected vehicle service.
173. Affiliate. ''Affiliate'' means a company that controls, is controlled by or is under
18 common control with another company.
194. Connected vehicle service. ''Connected vehicle service'' means a capability
20 provided by or on behalf of a motor vehicle manufacturer or affiliate of the motor vehicle
21 manufacturer that enables a person to remotely obtain data from or send commands to a
22 covered vehicle and that may be accomplished through a software application that is
23 designed to be operated on a mobile device or computer.
245. Connected vehicle service request. ''Connected vehicle service request'' means a
25 request by a survivor to terminate or disable an abuser's access to a connected vehicle
26 service.
276. Covered act. ''Covered act'' means conduct that constitutes:
28 A. A crime described in Section 40002(a) of the federal Violence Against Women Act
29 of 1994, 34 United States Code, Section 12291(a), including domestic violence, dating
30 violence, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking;
31 B. An act or practice described in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
32 2000, 22 United States Code, Section 7102, Subsection (11) or (12), relating to severe
33 forms of trafficking in persons and sex trafficking, respectively; or
34 C. An act under state law, tribal law or the United States Uniform Code of Military
35 Justice that is similar to an offense described in paragraph A or B.
36 A criminal conviction or any other determination of a court is not required in order for
37 conduct under this subsection to constitute a covered act.
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17. Covered connected vehicle services account. ''Covered connected vehicle services
2 account'' means an account or other means by which an individual enrolls in or obtains
3 access to a connected vehicle service.
48. Covered provider. ''Covered provider'' means a motor vehicle manufacturer, an
5 affiliate of the motor vehicle manufacturer or an entity acting on behalf of the motor vehicle
6 manufacturer that provides a connected vehicle service.
79. Covered vehicle. ''Covered vehicle'' means a motor vehicle that is the subject of a
8 connected vehicle service request and identified by a survivor pursuant to section 2264.
910. Emergency situation. ''Emergency situation'' means a situation that, if allowed to
10 continue, poses an imminent threat of serious bodily harm to or death of an individual.
1111. In-vehicle interface. ''In-vehicle interface'' means a feature or mechanism installed
12 in a vehicle that allows an individual within the vehicle to terminate or disconnect
13 connected vehicle services.
1412. Survivor. ''Survivor'' means an individual who is 18 years of age or older and
15 against whom a covered act has been committed or allegedly committed.
16§2263. Protection of survivors
171. Action by covered provider. Regardless of whether an abuser is an account holder,
18 not later than 2 business days after receiving a connected vehicle service request from a
19 survivor pursuant to section 2264, a covered provider shall take one or more of the
20 following actions:
21 A. Terminate or disable a covered connected vehicle services account associated with
22 an abuser identified in the connected vehicle service request pursuant to section 2264;
23 B. Terminate or disable a covered connected vehicle services account associated with
24 the covered vehicle, including by resetting or deleting any data or wireless connection
25 with respect to the covered vehicle, and provide instructions to the survivor on how to
26 reestablish a covered connected vehicle services account that does not include access
27 by the abuser;
28 C. Terminate or disable connected vehicle services for the covered vehicle, including
29 by resetting or deleting any data or wireless connection with respect to the covered
30 vehicle, and provide instructions to the survivor on how to reestablish connected
31 vehicle services; or
32 D. If the covered vehicle has an in-vehicle interface, provide information to the
33 survivor about the availability of the in-vehicle interface and how to terminate or
34 disable connected vehicle services using the in-vehicle interface.
352. Access to account data. If a covered provider takes action under subsection 1 in
36 response to a connected vehicle service request, the covered provider shall deny a request
37 from the abuser to obtain any data connected to the connected vehicle service maintained
38 by the covered provider that was generated after the abuser's access to the connected vehicle
39 service was terminated or disabled following a connected vehicle service request.
403. Limitations on penalties, fees and other requirements. A covered provider may
41 not make any action undertaken pursuant to subsection 1 contingent on any requirement
42 other than the requirements under section 2264, including:
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1 A. Payment of a fee, penalty or other charge;
2 B. Maintaining or extending the term of a covered connected vehicle services account;
3 C. Approval of the action by the account holder, if the account holder is not the
4 survivor; or
5 D. An increase in the rate charged for the connected vehicle service.
64. Notice to survivor and abuser. The following provisions govern notice to the
7 survivor and abuser.
8 A. Before a covered provider provides any formal notice to the abuser regarding any
9 action undertaken pursuant to subsection 1, the covered provider shall notify the
10 survivor of the date on which the covered provider intends to give such notice to the
11 abuser.
12 B. A covered provider shall take reasonable steps to provide any formal notice to an
13 abuser as described in paragraph A:
14 (1) No less than 3 days after the survivor has been notified; and
15 (2) Only after the abuser's access to the connected vehicle service has been
16 terminated or disabled.
17 C. When reviewing a connected vehicle service request, a covered provider shall allow
18 the survivor to elect the manner in which the covered provider may:
19 (1) Contact the survivor in response to the connected vehicle service request, if
20 necessary; or
21 (2) Notify the survivor of the inability of the covered provider to complete the
22 connected vehicle service request.
235. Operational or technical infeasibility. The following provisions govern
24 operational or technical infeasibility of a connected vehicle service request.
25 A. The requirement to effectuate the requested action in subsection 1 does not apply to
26 a covered provider if the covered provider cannot operationally or technically
27 effectuate the connected vehicle service request.
28 B. If a covered provider cannot operationally or technically effectuate the connected
29 vehicle service request as described in paragraph A, the covered provider shall:
30 (1) Promptly notify the survivor who submitted the connected vehicle service
31 request of that infeasibility; and
32 (2) Provide the survivor with information about whether the operational or
33 technical infeasibility can be remedied and, if so, any steps the survivor can take
34 to assist in remedying the infeasibility.
35§2264. Connected vehicle service requests
361. Information provided by survivor. When making a connected vehicle service
37 request under this chapter, the survivor shall provide:
38 A. The vehicle identification number of the covered vehicle;
39 B. The name of the abuser subject to the connected vehicle service request; and
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1 C. One of the following:
2 (1) Proof of sole ownership of the covered vehicle;
3 (2) In the case of a covered vehicle that is not solely owned by the survivor, proof
4 of exclusive legal possession of the covered vehicle, which may take the form of a
5 court order awarding possession of the covered vehicle to the survivor; or
6 (3) In the case of a covered vehicle that is owned in whole or in part by the abuser,
7 a dissolution decree, temporary order or domestic violence restraining order
8 naming the abuser and granting possession of the covered vehicle to the survivor
9 or restricting the abuser's use of a connected vehicle service against the survivor.
102. Confidential and secure treatment of information. The following provisions
11 govern the confidential and secure treatment of information related to a connected vehicle
12 service request.
13 A. A covered provider and any officer, director, employee, vendor or agent of a covered
14 provider shall treat any information submitted by a survivor under subsection 1 as
15 confidential and securely dispose of the information no later than 90 days after
16 receiving the information.
17 B. A covered provider may not share information submitted by a survivor under
18 subsection 1 with any 3rd party without the affirmative consent of the survivor unless
19 such sharing is required to effectuate a connected vehicle service request under
20 subsection 1.
21 C. A covered provider may not require a survivor to provide any information other than
22 what is required in subsection 1 to establish the ability to terminate an abuser's access
23 to a connected vehicle service.
24 D. Paragraph A may not be construed to prohibit a covered provider from maintaining,
25 for longer than the period specified in that paragraph, a record that verifies that a
26 survivor fulfilled the conditions of a connected vehicle service request under
27 subsection 1. The data maintained under this paragraph is limited to data that is
28 reasonably necessary and proportionate to verify that a survivor fulfilled the conditions
29 of a connected vehicle service request.
303. Emergency situations. The requirements of this chapter do not prohibit or prevent
31 a covered provider from terminating or disabling an abuser's access to a connected vehicle
32 service in an emergency situation after receiving a connected vehicle service request.
334. Changes in ownership or possession. The survivor shall take reasonable steps to
34 notify the covered provider of any change in ownership or possession from what was
35 provided under subsection 1 when the connected vehicle service request was made that
36 materially impacts the need for action taken by the covered provider under section 2263,
37 subsection 1.
38§2265. Consumer notices
39 A covered provider shall provide information to consumers about how survivors can
40 safely make connected vehicle service requests on a publicly accessible website maintained
41 by the covered provider. This information provided to consumers must include information
42 regarding the following.
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11. Confirmation e-mail. Upon submission of a connected vehicle service request, the
2 covered provider shall automatically send a confirmation e-mail to the survivor
3 acknowledging the receipt of the connected vehicle service request. This e-mail must
4 contain a reference number for the connected vehicle service request and an outline of the
5 subsequent steps in the process.
62. Action; notice. Upon completion of review of the connected vehicle service request,
7 the covered provider shall inform the survivor by notice of the action taken, including the
8 termination or disabling of access to the connected vehicle service, or if additional
9 information is needed. This notice must clearly state any relevant details or further actions
10 required from the survivor.
113. Explanation and assistance. When a connected vehicle service request is approved,
12 the covered provider shall provide the survivor with a clear explanation and guidance on
13 how to create the survivor's own covered connected vehicle services account, if necessary,
14 to ensure that the survivor can maintain control over the connected vehicle service once the
15 abuser's access to the service has been terminated or disabled.
164. Opt-out measures. When an abuser still has access to a survivor's e-mail account,
17 the covered provider shall provide the option to opt out of receiving notices regarding the
18 connected vehicle service request process and, to the best of the covered provider's ability,
19 provide alternative options for the survivor to maintain a record of the connected vehicle
20 service request process.
21§2266. Liability protection
22 A covered provider and any officer, director, employee, vendor or agent of a covered
23 provider is not subject to liability for any claims deriving from an action taken or omission
24 made with respect to compliance with this chapter.
25SUMMARY
26 This bill allows a survivor of certain crimes and acts, including domestic violence,
27 dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking, to request that a motor vehicle
28 manufacturer terminate or disable the access of an abuser who committed or allegedly
29 committed such a crime or act to a connected vehicle service. The bill defines "connected
30 vehicle service" to mean a capability provided by or on behalf of a motor vehicle
31 manufacturer or affiliate of the motor vehicle manufacturer that enables a person to
32 remotely obtain data from or send commands to a motor vehicle and that may be
33 accomplished through a software application that is designed to be operated on a mobile
34 device or computer.
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