Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Toll Evasion Prevention and Plate Visibility Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
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
The Toll Evasion Prevention and Plate Visibility Act of 2026 aims to regulate the sale of products that make license plates hard to read. It prohibits selling goods designed to impair plate readability or selling fraudulent and altered plates. The Federal Trade Commission is tasked with enforcing these prohibitions as unfair or deceptive practices. Additionally, the Federal Highway Administration will publish advisory guidance regarding plate appearance and digital imaging reliability. The bill also establishes a grant program to help identify vehicles that regularly evade tolls through information technology. To support these efforts, $10,000,000 is authorized for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2030.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +3
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill empowers the FTC to prevent deceptive practices regarding the sale of products that impair plate readability.
- Scored +2
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
The bill enhances digital tracking and data sharing to identify toll evaders.
- Scored +2
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill expands federal authority over the sale of certain goods and regulates plate visibility via the FTC.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill restricts the sale of certain products like license plate frames and covers.
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The bill facilitates increased digital surveillance and data sharing for toll enforcement.
- Scored -1
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill expands data sharing systems between law enforcement and toll authorities.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Prevention of Fraudulent Plates: The bill prohibits the sale of counterfeit, altered, or unauthorized license plates, which prevents the use of plates that falsely display registration information (Section 2(a)(1)(B)).
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Enhanced Digital Imaging: The Federal Highway Administration will provide guidance on best practices to increase the reliability of digital imaging technology in capturing plate information (Section 2(b)(2)(A)).
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Information on Obstructing Products: The government will provide information regarding license plate frames and covers that reduce readability (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
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Improved Identification of Toll Evaders: A grant program will help develop information technology systems to identify vehicles that regularly evade tolls (Section 2(c)(1) and Section 2(c)(4)(A)).
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Law Enforcement Training and Coordination: Grants may be used for training law enforcement on detecting license plate obstruction and creating data sharing systems to coordinate between agencies and toll facility owners (Section 2(c)(4)(B) and Section 2(c)(4)(C)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Goods: The bill prohibits the sale of any good designed or marketed to impair the readability of a license plate (Section 2(a)(1)(A)).
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Restrictions on Plate Sales: It prohibits the sale of certain year of manufacture plates without state authorization or the sale of legitimate plates without state authorization (Section 2(a)(1)(C) and Section 2(a)(1)(D)).
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.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill empowers the FTC to prevent deceptive practices regarding the sale of products that impair plate readability.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill restricts the sale of certain products like license plate frames and covers.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — The bill enhances digital tracking and data sharing to identify toll evaders.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill expands data sharing systems between law enforcement and toll authorities.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this repair or build roads and bridges? — The bill improves the technological infrastructure for toll collection and enforcement.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal authority over the sale of certain goods and regulates plate visibility via the FTC. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill facilitates increased digital surveillance and data sharing for toll enforcement.
- 3/5/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 3/4/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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