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HR10691119th CongressWALLET

Ban Flock Act

Sponsored By: Representative Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]

Introduced

Summary

A federal ban on ALPR acquisition and funding. This bill would bar federal agencies from buying, operating, or funding automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and from accessing or using the plate data they collect, while preserving narrow exceptions and legal remedies.

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  • Federal agencies and federal awards would be limited. Agencies could not use federal funds to purchase, lease, install, operate, maintain, upgrade, access, search, retain, analyze, or disclose ALPR-captured plate data. Violations would create unallowable costs that must be repaid and could trigger suspension or termination of awards.
  • Recipients of federal grants would face new compliance rules. Agency heads must include the ban in award terms, and recipients may not treat ALPR activities as allowable costs or shift federal funds to evade the prohibition.
  • State and local governments that seek specified federal funds would need to prohibit ALPR use by their agencies. That funding condition would begin in the first fiscal year after enactment.
  • Tolling and limited testing are carved out. ALPR use for toll collection would be allowed under strict data access, retention, disclosure, and security limits. The National Institute of Standards and Technology may run limited tests under the Act's constraints.
  • Enforcement tools and protections remain. The bill authorizes private lawsuits and state enforcement, keeps narrow judicial processes for privacy and civil-rights concerns, and allows civil penalties for federal officials who fail to comply.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Ban on federal use of ALPRs

If enacted, federal agencies would be barred from acquiring, possessing, accessing, or using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) or captured plate data in the United States, except in narrow, statute-authorized cases. Federal funds could not be used to buy, lease, operate, upgrade, or contract for ALPRs or ALPR data. The bill would require award terms to include the ban and treat funds used in violation as unallowable costs that must be repaid. The bill would define ALPRs and captured plate data to include plate numbers, images, time, place, direction, vehicle traits, confidence scores, and derived records. Any Congressional exception would have to name who can use the data, what data and uses are allowed, include audits, civil-rights protections, and limit retention to 48 hours.

States must ban ALPRs to keep grants

If enacted, DOJ, DOT, HHS, HUD, and DHS would not provide certain federal financial assistance to a State or local government unless that jurisdiction has a law or binding policy banning ALPRs to the same or greater extent as the federal prohibition. The condition would begin on the first day of the first fiscal year after enactment. States that adopt equivalent bans would remain eligible for those funds; states that do not could lose access.

New enforcement rights and evidence limits

If enacted, information obtained in violation of the federal ALPR prohibition would be inadmissible as evidence introduced by the Federal Government in most proceedings. An aggrieved individual would be able to sue the Federal Government for violations. A State's chief law officer could sue on behalf of residents. Courts could award actual and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and costs, injunctions, and other appropriate relief to prevailing plaintiffs.

Limits on tolling ALPR data

If enacted, ALPRs could be used for tolling only to assess, bill, collect, audit, dispute, or enforce a toll. Captured plate data for tolling must be deleted within 48 hours after a reconciled electronic payment. For pay-by-plate billing, unpaid toll collection, or disputes, data may be kept until final resolution but no more than 30 days. The bill forbids using tolling plate data for law enforcement hot lists, movement tracking, commercial ALPR databases, or unrelated sales. Law enforcement access is limited and must generally be supported by a warrant, except for imminent danger with documentation and a warrant sought within 14 days.

NIST testing and state rule protection

If enacted, the bill would not stop the National Institute of Standards and Technology from testing or researching ALPRs or similar commercial technologies. The bill would also not preempt any State or local law that is more protective than the federal limitations.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]

NY • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]

    ME • D

    Sponsored 10/6/2026

  • Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 10/6/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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