Bipartisan Bill Would Withhold Highway Funds From States Over License Plate Cameras

A new bipartisan congressional bill aims to regulate the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), commonly deployed by companies like Flock Safety. The legislation would pressure states to restrict ALPR use by threatening to withhold federal highway funding if they fail to comply. The approach mirrors the federal strategy used in the 1980s to establish a national minimum drinking age. Lawmakers backing the bill argue that widespread ALPR networks raise significant privacy concerns for the public. The proposal marks one of the more serious federal attempts to place limits on automated vehicle surveillance infrastructure.