Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) introduced the "Flock-Off Act" on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, to prohibit the use of federal funds for automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and biometric surveillance cameras. The legislation, designated as H.R. 10221, would block municipalities and local law enforcement from using federal money to purchase, install, maintain, or upgrade these technologies.
The bill follows increasing use of AI-driven systems by law enforcement, such as those provided by the company Flock Safety. These systems go beyond standard traffic cameras by recording license plate numbers and unique vehicle characteristics to create "vehicle signatures." Biometric data covered by the bill includes facial recognition, voiceprints, fingerprints, eye scans, and gait recognition. Massie stated that federal taxpayers should not be forced to fund what he described as a "surveillance state," while Burlison cited Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.
Under the proposed terms, federal agencies would be required to remove any federally funded systems, and local recipients would have to cease operations of such technology within 180 days to maintain eligibility for federal program funding. The bill also prohibits federal funding for subscriptions, data-sharing agreements, or cloud services related to these cameras. It includes exceptions for cameras used for toll collection and for those located within one mile of the U.S. northern and southern borders to detect drug smuggling, human trafficking, and unlawful entry.
The impact involves the potential withholding of federal program funds. While the total dollar amount was not reported, the bill requires recipients to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for the full amount of federal funds already obligated toward these systems before further funding can be released. For a local police department, this could mean losing a portion of its equipment budget or facing the cost of removing existing hardware. The legislation targets a broad sector of the technology market, including companies like Axon and Flock Safety, by banning any "contract, subscription, license, or data-sharing agreement" funded by federal dollars.
If passed, local recipients would be required to deactivate or remove license plate readers and biometric cameras within 180 days to maintain funding eligibility. The effects could include the termination of data-sharing arrangements between different law enforcement jurisdictions and a shift in how municipalities prioritize their public safety spending. The bill has received bipartisan support from original cosponsors including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN). The next steps for the legislation involve committee review in the House of Representatives.