Two Republican bills would cut federal money for police using Flock cameras
The response has reached Congress, and it is coming from the right. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee introduced H.R. 9800, the Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act, on 21 July 2026; it was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The bill would bar federal agencies from buying, operating or accessing automated plate recognition, facial recognition and biometric identification systems, names Flock Safety explicitly, and would stop state, local and tribal governments spending federal funds on the same. Data collected in violation would have to be deleted within 30 days and would be inadmissible in court. Separately, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has said he will sponsor a bill withholding federal money from municipalities and police departments that deploy Flock or similar cameras "to surveil law abiding citizens". Massie's is announced rather than filed, and its text has not been released.
From the reporting
- H.R. 9800 was introduced 21 July 2026 by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and referred to House Oversight and Government Reform. The text is public on congress.gov.
- It covers ALPR, facial recognition, and biometric identification including fingerprint, iris, retina, voice and gait.
- Data collected in violation must be deleted within 30 days and is inadmissible in any court or administrative proceeding.
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced a separate funding-withholding bill on X. It has not been formally introduced and no text has been released.
- Both would face resistance from law enforcement groups and from lawmakers who regard plate readers as a crime-fighting tool.
- Recorded as ONGOING, not as a win. An announced bill is not a law, and an introduced bill referred to committee is where most bills stop.
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