Bill To Ban Feds From ALPR Purchase Or Access Introduced
“no federal agency may purchase, deploy, operate, access, or contract for any automated surveillance system that identifies, tracks, or records individuals” through the use of ALPRs, facial recognition technology, biometric identification technology, or any other system that retains personal identifying information “for the purpose of conducting persistent or mass surveillance.”
WASHINGTON — A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would ban the federal government purchasing and federal funding of ALPR cameras, WZTV reported.
H.R. 9800, also known as the Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act, was introduced by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) on July 21, who stated that the camera systems violate the Fourth Amendment.
The bill states that “no federal agency may purchase, deploy, operate, access, or contract for any automated surveillance system that identifies, tracks, or records individuals” through the use of ALPRs, facial recognition technology, biometric identification technology, or any other system that retains personal identifying information “for the purpose of conducting persistent or mass surveillance.”
The legislation also prohibits state and local agencies from using federal funds to purchase any such technology, and lists requirements for the deletion of collected data.
“These law enforcement intelligence agents, they gotta have tools to address these threats, but taking our constitutional rights is not on the table,” Burchett stated.
WZTV contacted Mt. Juliet Police Department Chief Tyler Chandler, who spoke in support of the systems. Chandler stated that the system had led to hundreds of arrests for the department so far in 2026.
“I welcome strong legislation that ensures law enforcement across our State and Nation use license plate readers responsibly with clear policies, limited access, auditing, and a continued commitment to protecting the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of the public,” Chandler told WZTV.
He also pointed to recent court cases, which have largely rejected the idea that the LPR systems represent an inherent constitutional violation.
“Claims that ALPR technology automatically violates the Fourth Amendment are not supported by current federal case law.”
