Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) introduced the Ban Flock Act on Friday, 2 October 2026. The proposed legislation aims to prevent federal agencies from utilising automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) or accessing data collected by ALPRs operated by local police and private companies.
The bill allows for exceptions only in cases of toll collection and for uses that Congress may approve in future legislation, provided such uses limit data retention to a maximum of 48 hours. If enacted, state and local governments that do not ban the technology could face financial penalties, including the loss of grants from five federal departments, such as the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, starting from the first fiscal year after enactment.
Americans would also be able to sue the federal government over violations, and state attorneys general could enforce the law. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) are co-sponsors of the bill.