PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.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.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] · R–FL
Legislative record
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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.
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
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 5, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-24 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would restrict federal agencies’ use of certain automated vehicle-tracking systems. Agencies would generally need a warrant to obtain information, with exceptions and exemptions for specified activities. System operators could face penalties for knowingly providing access or information contrary to the bill. State, local, and tribal governments would have to adopt substantially similar rules for their agencies to qualify for Justice Department funds.
(a) In general Except as provided in this Act, no Federal agency may— (1) purchase, lease, operate, or access a covered system; (2) request that another governmental, public, or private entity provide information from a covered system; or (3) provide information to a covered system.
A Federal agency may only access information from a covered system or make a request described in subsection (a)(2) if the agency obtains a warrant, except as provided in paragraph (2).
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
Whoever, being the operator of a covered system, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly provides a Federal agency with access to a covered system, or with any information obtained pursuant to a covered system, except in accordance with this Act, shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years, fined under title 18, United States Code, or both.
In order to be eligible to receive Federal funds made available by the Department of Justice, a State, unit of local government, or Indian Tribe shall establish and implement requirements that are substantially similar to the requirements under this Act for the agencies of that jurisdiction.
The proposed law is named the Facilitating Liberty and Accountability for Flock Observations Act, or FLAFO Act.
This Act may be cited as the Facilitating Liberty and Accountability for Flock Observations Act or the FLAFO Act.
The bill’s findings express concern that aggregated vehicle data can reveal people’s movements and associations without individualized suspicion and threaten protected activities. These are the bill’s stated reasons for regulation, not established effects or court rulings.
Congress finds the following:
Such systems incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze and process such data into an aggregated and centralized form, thus permitting licensed users to reconstruct an individual’s movements, associations, and patterns of life without any individualized suspicion. Lacking adequate safeguards, such a surveillance system may assist a government official in abridging certain constitutionally protected rights of the American people, to include visits to places of worship, medical facilities, political gatherings, and other personal and sensitive sites.
An automated license plate reader system would include cameras, sensors, hardware, or software that automatically capture, process, or store license plates or other identifying vehicle information, including images, locations, dates, and times.
The term automated license plate reader system or ALPR system means any camera, sensor, or associated hardware or software system that automatically captures, records, analyzes, processes, aggregates, or stores a motor vehicle license plate, image, location, date, time, or other identifying vehicle information or characteristic.
The restrictions would cover a reader system if it meets any one of three conditions: it stores or transmits vehicle locations in a centralized, networked, or cross-jurisdictional database; allows historical location searches across jurisdictions; or uses artificial intelligence or machine learning to identify, classify, track, or search for vehicles using characteristics other than a full or partial plate number.
The term covered system means an ALPR system that— (A) stores or transmits vehicle-location information in a centralized, networked, or multi- or cross-jurisdictional database; (B) permits users to search historical vehicle-location information across jurisdictions; or (C) uses artificial intelligence or machine learning to identify, classify, track, or search for vehicles based on characteristics other than a complete or partial license plate number.
Subject to the bill’s exceptions, federal agencies could not buy, lease, operate, or access covered systems. They also could not ask another governmental, public, or private entity for information from those systems or supply information to them.
Except as provided in this Act, no Federal agency may— (1) purchase, lease, operate, or access a covered system; (2) request that another governmental, public, or private entity provide information from a covered system; or (3) provide information to a covered system.
The warrant provision would allow a federal agency to access information or request it from another entity after obtaining a warrant, subject to the warrant exceptions. It does not expressly authorize purchasing, leasing, or operating a covered system, or supplying information to one.
A Federal agency may only access information from a covered system or make a request described in subsection (a)(2) if the agency obtains a warrant, except as provided in paragraph (2).
Except as provided in this Act, no Federal agency may— (1) purchase, lease, operate, or access a covered system; (2) request that another governmental, public, or private entity provide information from a covered system; or (3) provide information to a covered system.
An agency could obtain information without a warrant if its head determines that the information is reasonably necessary to locate a missing or endangered person or respond to an imminent threat of death, serious injury, kidnapping, or another emergency involving immediate danger to a person.
A Federal agency may access information from a covered system or make a request described in subsection (a)(2) without a warrant only if the head of the agency determines that such information is reasonably necessary to— (A) locate a missing or endangered person; (B) respond to an imminent threat of death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or other emergency involving an immediate danger to a person;
A separate warrant exception would apply when the agency head determines that information is reasonably necessary for an investigation involving someone believed associated with terrorism, espionage, sabotage, or an agent of a foreign power.
A Federal agency may access information from a covered system or make a request described in subsection (a)(2) without a warrant only if the head of the agency determines that such information is reasonably necessary to—
(C) conduct an investigation involving a person believed to be associated with terrorism, espionage, sabotage, or an agent of a foreign power.
The entire Act would exempt Secret Service activities related to its duties under section 3056 of title 18. The supplied text does not reproduce those duties.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following: (1) The United States Secret Service, to the extent such agency is conducting activities related to their duties under section 3056 of title 18, United States Code.
Customs and Border Protection would be exempt when conducting activities related to border security, immigration or customs enforcement, ports of entry or its other checkpoints, and detecting, stopping, or investigating human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, or other cross-border crime.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(2) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to the extent such agency is conducting activities related to— (A) border security; (B) immigration or customs enforcement; (C) operations at a port of entry or any other checkpoint of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; or (D) the detection, interdiction, or investigation of human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, or other cross-border criminal activity.
The Defense, Homeland Security, and Energy departments would be exempt for specified operations connected to military or Coast Guard installations, nuclear facilities, or other national-security facilities under their jurisdiction. The listed purposes are access control, force protection, physical security, counterespionage, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(3) The Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Energy, to the extent such a agency is conducting an operation in connection with a military or Coast Guard installation, nuclear facility, or other national security facility under the jurisdiction of such Department, for— (A) installation access control; (B) force protection; (C) physical security; (D) counterespionage; (E) counterintelligence; or (F) counterterrorism operations.
The Act would also exempt information sharing between an agency listed in the agency exemptions and any other federal agency when the purpose is to conduct one of the activities or operations covered by those exemptions.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(4) The sharing of any information between an agency described in paragraphs (1) through (3) and any other Federal agency, for the purpose of conducting an activity or operation in any such paragraph.
Federal officers or employees who knowingly violate section 3 would face up to five years in prison, a criminal fine under title 18, or both. They would also be subject to a civil penalty of up to $100,000.
(1) Criminal penalties Any officer or employee of the Federal Government who knowingly violates this section shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, fined under title 18, United States Code, or both. (2) Civil penalty Any officer or employee of the Federal Government who knowingly violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not more than $100,000.
A person harmed by a section 3 violation could sue a federal officer or employee who knowingly violated it, or the United States, in an appropriate federal district court. The court could award damages, attorney’s fees and costs, and orders declaring rights or requiring or stopping conduct.
Any person aggrieved by a violation of this section may bring a civil action in an appropriate United States district court against an officer or employee of the Federal Government who knowingly violated this section or against the United States and may recover damages, attorney’s fees and costs, and declaratory or injunctive relief as appropriately determined by such court.
In those section 3 lawsuits, defendants could not invoke sovereign immunity or qualified immunity—the legal protections that can shield the government or its officials from liability.
In any action under this paragraph, sovereign immunity or qualified immunity may not be raised as a defense.
A covered-system operator who knowingly gives a federal agency access or information contrary to the Act, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, would face up to five years in prison, a criminal fine under title 18, or both. A violation would also carry a civil penalty of up to $100,000.
(a) Criminal penalty Whoever, being the operator of a covered system, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly provides a Federal agency with access to a covered system, or with any information obtained pursuant to a covered system, except in accordance with this Act, shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years, fined under title 18, United States Code, or both. (b) Civil penalty Whoever violates subsection (a) shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not more than $100,000.
A person harmed by a violation of the operator restrictions could sue in an appropriate federal district court. Available remedies would include damages, attorney’s fees and costs, and court orders declaring rights or requiring or stopping conduct, as the court finds appropriate.
Any person aggrieved by a violation of this section may bring a civil action in an appropriate United States district court and may recover damages, attorney’s fees and costs, and declaratory or injunctive relief, as determined appropriate by the court.
States, local governments, and Indian Tribes would have to establish and implement substantially similar requirements for their own agencies to be eligible for federal funds made available by the Justice Department.
In order to be eligible to receive Federal funds made available by the Department of Justice, a State, unit of local government, or Indian Tribe shall establish and implement requirements that are substantially similar to the requirements under this Act for the agencies of that jurisdiction.
The Attorney General would have to certify annually that a state, local government, or Indian Tribe complies with the funding condition.
On an annual basis, the Attorney General shall certify that a State, unit of local government, or Indian Tribe is in compliance with this section.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 5, 2026, records introduction in the House on September 24, 2026, and referral that day to the Oversight and Government Reform and Judiciary committees.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-05T20:03:53Z.
2026-09-24: Introduced in House
2026-09-24: 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.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-24. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not determine formal earmark status in other materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
Express exemptions from the main restrictions warrant scrutiny as targeted treatment. This classification does not judge their justification or merits.
The Secret Service would receive an exemption from the entire Act for activities related to its duties under section 3056 of title 18. This gives specified agency activities different treatment from the general federal restrictions.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following: (1) The United States Secret Service, to the extent such agency is conducting activities related to their duties under section 3056 of title 18, United States Code.
Customs and Border Protection would receive an exemption from the Act for its listed border, immigration, customs, checkpoint, and cross-border crime activities, removing those activities from the bill’s general restrictions.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(2) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to the extent such agency is conducting activities related to— (A) border security; (B) immigration or customs enforcement; (C) operations at a port of entry or any other checkpoint of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; or (D) the detection, interdiction, or investigation of human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, or other cross-border criminal activity.
The Defense, Homeland Security, and Energy departments would receive an exemption for listed security operations connected to qualifying facilities under their jurisdiction. These specified operations would fall outside the Act’s general restrictions.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(3) The Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Energy, to the extent such a agency is conducting an operation in connection with a military or Coast Guard installation, nuclear facility, or other national security facility under the jurisdiction of such Department, for— (A) installation access control; (B) force protection; (C) physical security; (D) counterespionage; (E) counterintelligence; or (F) counterterrorism operations.
Other federal agencies could participate in exempt information sharing with the listed agencies when the purpose is to conduct a listed exempt activity or operation. This extends the special treatment beyond the named agencies for that sharing.
(d) Certain agencies excluded This Act does not apply to any of the following:
(4) The sharing of any information between an agency described in paragraphs (1) through (3) and any other Federal agency, for the purpose of conducting an activity or operation in any such paragraph.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 5, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI