Rep. Thomas Massie Announces Federal Bill to Defund Flock Surveillance Cameras
25 July 2026. Representative Thomas Massie announced that he will introduce a federal bill to withhold federal money from municipalities and police departments that deploy Flock-style automated license plate reader cameras. The announcement came in a post on X at 2:45 PM.
If introduced as described, this would be the first federal attempt to attach a funding consequence to local ALPR deployment — a different lever than the state-level regulation bills this site tracks. Rather than restricting how the cameras are used, it would put federal grant money at stake for having them at all.
What we know, and what we don’t
As of this writing the bill has not been introduced. It has no number, no official name, and no public text. Massie’s announcement describes its intent — withholding federal funds from jurisdictions that deploy Flock and similar camera systems to surveil law-abiding citizens — but the scope, definitions, and enforcement mechanism won’t be knowable until the text is filed. This page will be updated when that happens.
Who is Thomas Massie
Thomas Massie is the U.S. Representative for Kentucky’s 4th congressional district, serving since November 2012. He is a Republican, an MIT-trained engineer, a farmer, and an inventor holding 30 patents. He has a long record of libertarian positions on government surveillance and privacy, frequently breaking with his own party on those issues. In 2026 he has also drawn national attention for opposing his party’s leadership on spending legislation.
His announcement matters beyond its bill because of who he is: a sitting Republican attaching a federal cost to a technology that has spread mostly through routine local approvals. Surveillance skepticism in Congress has appeared on both ends of the spectrum, and this proposal is a test of whether it can move as legislation.
Don’t Flock — Badge of Honor
Rep. Thomas Massie (R–KY 4)
First member of Congress to announce federal legislation defunding Flock-style camera deployments. Awarded 26 July 2026, on the record above.
The Badge of Honor is this site’s editorial recognition of officials whose recorded actions oppose mass surveillance. It is based solely on the public record cited on this page and implies no affiliation or endorsement by the recipient.