Federal agencies banned from tracking your car's movements and features
H.R. 10609 — Don’t Spy On Me Act of 2026 · Filed by Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 24, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prohibits federal government agencies from creating or maintaining databases that link vehicle license plates to identifying information—such as vehicle characteristics, bumper stickers, or location history—collected by automated license plate readers. Citizens whose data is collected in violation can sue the agency for actual damages, a $25,000 penalty if targeted, an injunction, and attorney's fees.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a direct prohibition on a government surveillance practice (automated license plate reader databases) combined with a private right of action for citizens. It restrains executive power, not expands it.
What the text implies
- The definition of 'vehicle fingerprinting database' is broad enough to capture location-tracking systems used by law enforcement, parking authorities, and toll agencies—potentially affecting multiple federal and state programs that currently operate under minimal oversight.
- The $25,000 statutory penalty applies only if the court finds the agency 'targeted' the individual or entity, creating a factual dispute that may reduce the deterrent effect for agencies that claim databases were created for general law enforcement purposes rather than targeting.
- The civil action remedy does not include a qui tam (whistleblower) provision, meaning violations may go undetected unless affected individuals discover they are in a database and have resources to litigate.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill restricts government surveillance power over citizens' movements and vehicle characteristics without requiring a warrant or individualized suspicion. Citizens gain a legal right to sue if agencies violate the ban, with statutory damages and attorney's fees, creating a concrete enforcement mechanism.
Named in the bill
Government agencies (federal), Automated license plate reader (ALPR) operators, District courts of the United States, United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 2 Republicans.
- Sep 24, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Sep 24, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,662 characters) on Sep 30, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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