WASHINGTON — A bipartisan House bill would prohibit federal funding from being used to purchase, operate or support automated license plate readers and biometric surveillance cameras.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced H.R. 10221, called the “Flock-Off Act,” with Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. The proposal is named for Flock, one of the largest providers of ALPR technology, but its provisions would apply to covered camera systems from any company.
The bill would prevent federal agencies and recipients of federal funding, including state, local and tribal governments, from using that money to purchase, lease, install, maintain, repair, upgrade or operate covered cameras.
The restriction would also apply to federally funded contracts, subscriptions, licenses, data-sharing agreements, cloud storage, technical support and other services connected to the systems.
Federal agencies would have 180 days after the bill became law to remove camera systems purchased or operated in whole or in part with federal funding. State and local recipients would have to stop operating federally supported systems and end related agreements as a condition of continuing to receive money through the relevant federal program.
If federal money were spent in violation of the prohibition, the agency that provided the funding would be required to withhold additional money under that program until the recipient reimbursed the U.S. Treasury.
The legislation would not prohibit agencies from using locally funded ALPR systems.
“It doesn’t ban Flock cameras, but it says that the federal government is not going to pay for your Flock cameras if you want them,” Massie told Spectrum News. “I think they’re an invasion of privacy, and they go beyond the balance between security and privacy.”
In a statement announcing the bill, Massie said federal taxpayers should not be required to fund systems he believes are used to monitor people who are not suspected of crimes.
Burlison said the legislation was intended to address concerns that advances in surveillance technology could infringe on Fourth Amendment protections.
The bill defines a covered camera system as a fixed, mobile or portable device that automatically captures and processes images of vehicles or license plates, converts information from those images into computer-readable data and sends it to a remote or cloud-based system for storage, analysis or sharing.
It would also cover systems that automatically extract biometric information from images of people. The legislation defines biometric data to include facial images, voiceprints, fingerprints, iris or retinal scans and gait patterns.
Two exceptions are included. Federal funding could continue to support cameras installed within 1 mile of the northern or southern U.S. border when they are operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or a law enforcement agency working under a written agreement with CBP. Those cameras would have to be used primarily for border security or to detect crimes including human trafficking, drug trafficking and unlawful entry.
Federal transportation funds could also be used for cameras whose sole purpose is collecting or enforcing tolls, provided the data is used and shared only for that purpose.
Flock told Spectrum News that withholding federal funding for the technology would have public safety consequences. The company said its systems supported more than 1 million investigations in 2025 and helped locate more than 10,000 missing people.
“Rather than banning a critical public safety tool, Congress should consider strong, clear safeguards that ensure accountability, oversight and responsible use are enshrined in law,” the company said.
Original cosponsors of the Flock-Off Act include Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind.
