California Senate attempts to ban RFID tracking of students
It looks like the backlash from one California school's attempt at mandatory RFID tracking of students could end up prompting a statewide ban of the practice, if the state Senate has its way. In that first instance, Brittan Elementary School in Sutter, California attempted to require all students to carry RFID-equipped ID cards that would allow them to be tracked throughout the school, supposedly to simplify attendance-taking and reduce vandalism. That plan quickly backfired, however, and the school put the kibosh on the program. Under this new law, all schools would be prohibited from requiring students to carry RFID cards (or, presumably, be implanted with 'em) until 2011, when the practice would be reconsidered, according to The Register. Democrat Joe Simitian (who introduced the legislation) doesn't seem to be stopping there though, also proposing bills that would place a temporary ban on RFIDs in driver's licenses, add additional privacy safeguards to RFID-enabled government IDs and, of course, restrict forced RFID implants in people.
