A bill pre-filed for the Alabama Legislature’s upcoming session would prohibit employers from implanting microchips or other markers in employees.
House Bill 4, sponsored by Rep. Prince Chestnut, D-Selma, also says microchips couldn’t be required by insurance providers or bail bondsmen.
The bill is co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, and Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, D-Hayneville.
“We have to be careful as a society and take our time to consider the ethical and constitutional implications of technology,” Chestnut told Alabama Daily News. “Individual liberty and freedom of movement should always remain sacrosanct. Your right to work should not result in your employer being able to trace your steps and place you under a constant state of 24-hour-a-day, seven-day a week surveillance.”
Chestnut said he’s not aware of any Alabama companies who have sought to microchip workers, but he previously read about a company in Wisconsin that offered to chip employees.
“I think part of our job as legislators is to be presumptive, to not wait until something gets out of hand before we look for a remedy,” Chestnut said.
According to media reports, about a dozen other states have passed similar laws.
House Bill 4 would not stop an employee from voluntarily getting chipped.
“Some people may not mind being surveyed 24/7…” Chestnut said. “But it shouldn’t be a condition of employment.”
The legislative session starts March 7.