Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Bill to Strip Federal Funding From License Plate Reader Programs

WASHINGTON, A group of progressive lawmakers introduced legislation Friday that would prohibit the federal government from using automated license plate readers and pull federal grant money from any state or local government that keeps the cameras running.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., unveiled the measure, called the Ban Flock Act, according to reporting by UPI and The Hill.

The bill's reach is broad. <cite index="26-4">The legislation would prohibit the federal government from purchasing, using or possessing an automatic license plate reader, accessing its data, or using federal funds to purchase the cameras.</cite> <cite index="23-4,23-5">It would also pause federal grant funding to state and local governments with ALPR contracts and allow Americans to sue the federal government over ALPR use.</cite>

The funding cutoff would be sweeping for local law enforcement budgets. <cite index="26-6">State and local governments using ALPRs would no longer receive federal assistance from the Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the bill's text.</cite>

Flock Safety is the primary target but not the only one. <cite index="26-5">The bill would block certain federal grants to governments that use ALPRs or contract with ALPR companies such as Flock Safety, though it does not outright prohibit local agencies from purchasing the technology with local tax dollars.</cite>

The company's footprint is substantial. <cite index="19-8">Flock's cameras use artificial intelligence to scan license plates and other vehicle details; the company holds contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, according to NPR.</cite> <cite index="25-6">Flock Safety claims 120,000 cameras scanning over 20 billion vehicles monthly across 49 states.</cite>

Sanders framed the bill around both privacy and the concentration of tech-sector power. <cite index="20-6">"At a time of growing concern about the unchecked power of artificial intelligence, Flock is eviscerating the very notion of privacy by installing tens of thousands of cameras in communities across America without their consent," Sanders said in a statement.</cite>

<cite index="22-8,22-9">Ocasio-Cortez said big tech companies like Flock Safety have built a mass surveillance system to harvest Americans' private and personal data without their consent and called the legislation an effort to enforce constitutional privacy rights.</cite>

The bill's sponsors also cited documented abuses. <cite index="21-11,21-12,21-13">The legislation's release notes that Flock has shared state information with federal immigration officials and that officers have searched Flock data in connection with protests; it also says officers have used plate readers to track women without their consent, and recent months have brought incidents of officers misusing the technology to stalk and harass people who were not under investigation, including former romantic partners.</cite>

The Ban Flock Act isn't the only bill on this topic. <cite index="24-7,24-8">Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., unveiled a measure last month called the Flock-Off Act, which would block any attempt to purchase, install, maintain, operate, or upgrade ALPRs and biometric surveillance cameras for municipalities and localities; while the bill title references Flock, it would not be the only company affected.</cite>

The bipartisan interest in curbing plate-reader surveillance comes as Congress heads into a lame-duck stretch. <cite index="2-7,2-8">The Senate wrapped up its legislative period this week, with members scattering to campaign ahead of the November midterms; senators and House members are slated to return to Washington on November 9 for the lame-duck session of the 119th Congress.</cite> <cite index="2-10">During the lame-duck session, Congress will also face a federal government funding deadline of December 12, absent additional congressional action.</cite>

No White House statement on the Ban Flock Act was immediately available. No committee hearing date has been scheduled.

Sources cited:
- UPI (https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/10/02/sanders-merkley-ocasio-cortez-ban-flock-act/2911790967805)
- The Hill via Yahoo News (https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/progressives-unveil-legislation-195043618.html)
- Daily Caller (https://dailycaller.com/2026/10/02/aoc-bernie-sanders-merkley-ban-flock-cameras/)
- NewsNation (https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/progressives-flock-camera-legislation/)
- Hoodline (https://hoodline.com/2026/10/sanders-and-aoc-target-flock-cameras-with-bill-to-ban-federal-license-plate-tracking/)
- Northeast Times (https://northeasttimes.com/2026/10/03/senators-propose-ban-on-federal-use-of-license-plate-readers/)
- National Law Review (Beltway Buzz) (https://natlawreview.com/article/beltway-buzz-october-2-2026)