Congress strips DC's power to run traffic cameras and safety signs
H.R. 5525 — Stop DC CAMERA Act · Filed by Scott Perry (R-PA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 19, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill repeals two District of Columbia laws: one authorizing automated traffic cameras (red-light and speed cameras) and another authorizing 'no right turn on red' signage. The bill strips DC's authority to operate these enforcement systems entirely. Citizens in DC would lose automated traffic enforcement but also lose the ability to restrict right turns at red lights, potentially increasing intersection risk.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to repeal DC's authority to operate automated traffic enforcement systems and restrict right turns at red lights. It is a straightforward, if controversial, removal of local regulatory power.
What the text implies
- Repeal eliminates DC's ability to generate revenue from traffic citations, potentially reducing funding for public services, transportation infrastructure, or public safety programs that depend on that revenue stream.
- Loss of no-right-turn signage authority may increase right-angle collisions at intersections, potentially raising injury and fatality rates in DC.
- The bill is a federal override of local DC authority — Congress is preempting a local government's power to regulate traffic within its own jurisdiction, raising federalism questions about home rule.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Drivers benefit from loss of automated traffic enforcement (fewer tickets, lower costs), but DC loses a traffic-safety tool and revenue source that funds public services. The repeal of no-right-turn signage authority may increase intersection accidents. The net effect on ordinary DC residents depends on whether camera revenue funded essential services and whether intersection safety outweighs enforcement burden.
Named in the bill
District of Columbia, DC Traffic Act, 1925, Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Support Act of 1996, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 2 Republicans.
- Sep 19, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Sep 19, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform”
- Mar 18, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
- Mar 18, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 19”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Money around this bill
2 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $80,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 7 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.
More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.
Scott Perry, the sponsor, reported $668,994 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.
- Altumint, Inc. — $50,000 on 1 filing
- Council of the District of Columbia — $30,000 on 1 filing
Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (674 characters) on Jul 25, 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.
Money — Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act filings whose specific-issue field names this bill for quarters ending Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. A filing's amount is reported whole beside the median number of bills a filing names; it is never divided across them. PAC receipts are FEC-reported contributions to the sponsor's candidate committee in the 2026 cycle.
As of — lobbying records through Jul 20, 2026 · page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress strips DC's power to run traffic cameras and safety signs” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr5525 Report an error
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