A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill places strict limits on how the government uses automated license plate reader systems. It generally requires the government to get a warrant based on probable cause before checking license plate data or setting up alerts for specific vehicles. The legislation also orders the quick deletion of collected data within one day, with some exceptions for ongoing investigations. Furthermore, it bans searching plate reader systems based on expressive attributes like bumper stickers or political decals. Vendors are restricted from selling or using this data for secondary purposes, and states must comply with these rules or risk losing certain federal crime control funds.
Yes· 3 of 13
- Scored +8
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The bill provides sweeping privacy protections by requiring probable cause warrants for license plate queries and enforcing a strict one-day data deletion rule.
- Scored +7
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The legislation establishes robust data privacy safeguards by mandating the deletion of automated license plate reader records within one day and requiring warrants for data access.
- Scored +6
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The legislation ensures judicial oversight through mandatory warrant requirements and provides civil remedies for individuals harmed by illegal surveillance practices.
The opposite
- Scored -8
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
The bill severely restricts government use of automated license plate reader systems, mandate warrants for queries, and requires rapid data deletion.
- Scored -4
Does this give the federal government more power?
Section 8 conditions federal crime control funds on states enacting equivalent local automated license plate reader restriction laws.
- Scored -3
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill penalizes states that fail to pass specific statutory restrictions on automated license plate reader systems by withholding federal funds.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Warrant Protections for Citizens: Under Section 3(a), the government generally cannot query automated license plate reader systems or obtain records without a warrant issued upon a showing of probable cause. This protects everyday citizens from having their daily travels tracked by the government without a judge's approval.
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Protection of Free Speech and Privacy: Under Section 5(a) and Section 5(b), governmental entities and vendors are prohibited from configuring systems to index or search for "expressive attributes," which includes political, religious, or social messages displayed on vehicles. This protects people from being targeted or monitored based on their personal beliefs or First Amendment activities.
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Data Deletion and Privacy Safeguards: Under Section 4(a), the government and vendors must delete collected records no later than one day after they are generated. This prevents the government from building permanent tracking databases on law-abiding citizens.
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Accountability and Transparency: Under Section 6(c), governmental entities operating plate reader systems must publish annual reports detailing device locations, warrants sought, arrests made, and instances of noncompliance. This allows the public to hold elected officials and agencies accountable for how they use surveillance technology.
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Legal Remedies for Violations: Under Section 9(b), individuals harmed by a violation of this Act can bring a civil action in federal court to recover damages and attorney's fees. This gives people a direct way to fight back if their privacy rights are breached.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Burden on Emergency Responses: While Section 3(d) allows for emergency queries without a warrant when there is imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, the strict 48-hour deadline to apply for subsequent court approval and the mandatory destruction of records if denied could place a heavy administrative and legal burden on law enforcement during fast-moving crisis situations.
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Potential Loss of State Funding: Under Section 8(a), the federal government will withhold 10 percent of certain crime control funds from any State that does not enact a compliant local law within two years. This could reduce resources available to state and local programs that benefit the public if state legislatures fail to pass the required legislation.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill provides sweeping privacy protections by requiring probable cause warrants for license plate queries and enforcing a strict one-day data deletion rule. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The legislation ensures judicial oversight through mandatory warrant requirements and provides civil remedies for individuals harmed by illegal surveillance practices. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Section 6 mandates that entities operating automated license plate reader systems publish detailed annual reports on device locations, warrants sought, and instances of noncompliance. Does this protect the individual right to speak freely? — Banning the indexing and filtering of vehicle records by expressive attributes directly protects citizens' freedom of expression from state surveillance. Does this give the federal government more power? — Section 8 conditions federal crime control funds on states enacting equivalent local automated license plate reader restriction laws. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill penalizes states that fail to pass specific statutory restrictions on automated license plate reader systems by withholding federal funds.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The legislation establishes robust data privacy safeguards by mandating the deletion of automated license plate reader records within one day and requiring warrants for data access. Does this put more rules on large technology companies? — Section 7 places strict restrictions on private vendors operating automated license plate reader systems, prohibiting secondary data use, sale, and unauthorized network sharing.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect what people are allowed to say in public life? — Section 5 prohibits governmental entities from indexing or querying automated license plate reader systems using expressive attributes such as political decals or bumper stickers. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — By requiring warrants for automated license plate reader tracking, the bill reduces potential demographic profiling and biased mass surveillance. Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion? — The bill explicitly prohibits using license plate reader systems to monitor individuals based on religious affiliation or protected First Amendment activities. Does this protect the right to vote? — Prohibiting searches of license plate data based on expressive attributes protects individuals participating in political and civic activities from government tracking.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — The bill severely restricts government use of automated license plate reader systems, mandate warrants for queries, and requires rapid data deletion.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — Section 3(e) explicitly prohibits using automated license plate reader warrants or queries for enforcing civil immigration laws. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Strict limitations on automated license plate reader tracking help reduce unwarranted mass surveillance that can disproportionately affect minority communities. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Warrant requirements for license plate queries protect immigrant and Hispanic populations from broad, unwarranted government tracking.
- 10/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/15/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
Paul GosarRepublican · Arizona