Federal surveillance funding cut off—agencies must scrap facial recognition systems
H.R. 10221 — Flock-Off Act · Filed by Thomas Massie (R-KY) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 2, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prohibits federal funds from being used to purchase, operate, or maintain automated camera systems that capture and process license plates or facial biometric data—with narrow exceptions for border security and toll collection. Agencies and grant recipients must decommission existing systems within 180 days or lose federal funding. Citizens regain privacy protections against mass surveillance infrastructure funded by taxpayer money.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a direct prohibition on federal funding for automated biometric and license-plate camera systems, coupled with a mandatory decommissioning requirement. It is a straightforward anti-surveillance measure, not a deregulation or carve-out.
What the text implies
- Defunds existing state and local surveillance programs that rely on federal grants, potentially disrupting law-enforcement workflows that have become routine in many jurisdictions.
- The 180-day decommissioning deadline may create logistical and contractual disputes with vendors and service providers holding multi-year agreements.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill restricts government's ability to deploy and operate automated mass-surveillance systems at public expense, restoring privacy protections for ordinary citizens against warrantless biometric and vehicle tracking. The narrow exceptions (border security, toll collection) preserve legitimate law-enforcement uses while blocking the broader surveillance infrastructure.