H.R. 10366: No Federal License-Plate Observation and Camera Keeping Act

This bill would require states to limit how ALPRs—cameras that scan vehicle license plates—can be used if they want to avoid losing a portion of certain federal highway funds.

What the bill would do

Starting in the fiscal year after the second fiscal year following enactment, the U.S. Department of Transportation would withhold 10% of a state’s apportioned surface transportation funding under a federal highway funding formula if that state does not already have a law in place restricting the use of automated license plate readers.

What states would have to prohibit

Under the bill, states would need to ban use of automated license plate readers for purposes other than:

• Enforcing toll systems
• Identifying stolen vehicles
• Identifying missing or endangered persons
• Identifying vehicles registered to a person with a warrant for a felony offense
• Investigating a vehicle involved in a felony offense

In practical terms, this means states would have to restrict ALPR use so it cannot be used for other types of tracking or investigative purposes beyond those listed above, or else risk losing part of their federal transportation funding.

How the funding penalty would work

The bill does not eliminate all federal highway money. Instead, it directs the Secretary of Transportation to withhold 10% of a state’s annual apportioned funding under a specific federal highway funding provision if the state lacks the required law.

Other provisions

The bill also makes a clerical change to the table of contents for the relevant section of federal highway law to include the new section on automated license plate readers.

Relevant Companies

None found