Bipartisan Bill Would Cut Federal Highway Funding Over Unrestricted Flock Camera Use

Bipartisan lawmakers told WIRED they plan to introduce a bill today that would strip federal funding from states that do not restrict the use of Flock cameras and other automatic license plate readers. The devices help police track vehicles involved in crimes, but they have faced a national backlash in recent months over more invasive uses by law enforcement.

The Federal License Plate Surveillance and Camera Storage No FLOCK Act would direct the U.S. secretary of transportation to withhold 10 percent of a state’s annual federal funding for highways, roads, and bridges if Flock and similar devices are not banned for all but five uses. The bill is co-sponsored by Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents Chicago’s suburbs, and Republican Representative Michael Cloud, whose Texas district includes Corpus Christi.

The bill says Flock cameras could be used only to enforce toll systems; identify stolen vehicles, missing people, or endangered people; identify vehicles registered to people with felony warrants; or investigate vehicles involved in a felony. Uses such as conducting traffic investigations, investigating minor drug crimes, and enforcing parking and speeding violations are specifically excluded.

“Our investigation into Mr. Flock revealed serious oversight deficiencies, and this bipartisan bill would create clear limits to prevent abuse while preserving legitimate access to public safety,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.

The bill stops short of an outright ban on Flock cameras, the primary demand of supporters involved in global protests against the Atlanta-based company and its competitors. It also would not prevent Flock users from widely sharing license plate tracking data with other government agencies, including immigration authorities.

Flock did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed legislation.

If the bill passes this year, states that do not comply would begin losing tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in annual transportation funding starting in October 2028.

The Department of Transportation calculates the amount of surface transportation funding provided to each state based on factors including the number of roads and traffic volume. Congress has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funding to pressure states to adopt safety measures. That tactic helped establish a national minimum drinking age, standard rules for what constitutes drunk driving, and regulations governing billboards along highways.

Another bipartisan bill recently introduced in Congress would prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase Flock cameras. Federal records show that Flock’s lobbying spending in Washington, D.C., has remained stable over the past 18 months, and the company recently hired a fifth firm to assist with its lobbying effort.

Why Flock Cameras Are Facing a Technical and Privacy Backlash

Several issues involving emerging technologies—including rogue AI systems, data center construction, and law enforcement’s misuse of Flock cameras—are at the forefront of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, which are less than two months away. It remains unclear whether legislation addressing voters’ concerns will pass Congress anytime soon, much less receive approval from President Donald Trump.

President Trump expressed support for Flock in a video statement on Sunday, saying that he supported law enforcement. Lawmakers generally agree with supporting law enforcement but have criticized arrests of police officers who allegedly used Flock footage for personal reasons, including stalking a former partner. At least one report documented 100 alleged instances of abuse over the past eight years.