Get the Flock Out of Our Communities Act
- Sponsor
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
- Committees
- Oversight and Government Reform Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Oct 13, 2026
Bottom line
This bill aims to broadly ban the use of automated mass surveillance technologies by federal, state, and local government agencies, particularly law enforcement, by cutting off federal funding and making their use illegal.
What it actually does
This bill broadly prohibits the use of federal funds for, and direct acquisition or use by federal agencies of, automated mass surveillance systems, including automatic license plate readers, biometric surveillance systems, and facial recognition technology. It mandates the removal of existing systems and the permanent deletion of associated data within strict timelines. Furthermore, it makes state and local governments ineligible for certain federal law enforcement grants if they continue to use these prohibited surveillance systems.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue this bill is crucial for protecting civil liberties and privacy from pervasive government surveillance. They contend that these technologies disproportionately affect marginalized communities, lead to wrongful arrests, and create a surveillance state without adequate oversight or accountability, making a comprehensive ban essential to uphold fundamental rights.
Opponents contend
Opponents would likely argue that these technologies are vital tools for law enforcement to combat serious crime, enhance public safety, and quickly identify suspects or missing persons. They might contend that a blanket prohibition would severely hamper investigative capabilities, compromise national security, and potentially lead to increased crime rates.
The bill is very concise and clearly written, making it easy for a reader to understand its core provisions quickly.
Section 2(a)
Federal Funding Prohibition for Surveillance Systems
This provision forbids the use of any federal funds, regardless of when they were made available, to purchase, deploy, maintain, or operate automated mass surveillance systems. This includes automatic license plate readers, biometric surveillance systems, and facial recognition technology. This means federal agencies, states, and local governments cannot use federal money for these purposes, effectively cutting off a major funding source for these technologies.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue this is a necessary step to prevent the expansion of a surveillance state funded by taxpayers, ensuring that federal money is not used for technologies that infringe on privacy and civil liberties.
Critics contend
Opponents would contend that this prohibition cripples law enforcement's ability to utilize modern tools for crime prevention and investigation, potentially leading to increased crime rates and reduced public safety.
Tradeoffs
This provision balances public safety interests (as perceived by law enforcement) against privacy and civil liberties concerns, by prioritizing the latter through financial restrictions.
Section 2(b)
Direct Ban on Acquisition and Use by Agencies
This section directly prohibits any federal agency or its employees from acquiring, possessing, accessing, soliciting, or using automated mass surveillance systems or any information derived from them within the United States. This goes beyond funding restrictions, imposing a direct ban on the operational use of these technologies by federal entities, regardless of the funding source.
Section 2(c) and 2(d)
Mandated Removal of Systems and Deletion of Data
Within 30 days of the Act's enactment, any agency, state, or local government that uses federal funds for automated mass surveillance systems must remove them. Furthermore, within 7 days of enactment, any automated mass surveillance data prohibited by the Act must be permanently deleted. These strict deadlines ensure a rapid cessation of surveillance activities and the destruction of collected data.
Section 2(e)
Evidentiary Exclusion of Illegally Obtained Data
This provision stipulates that any data obtained in violation of the Act's prohibitions on automated mass surveillance systems cannot be admitted as evidence in any court or administrative proceeding. This acts as a crucial enforcement mechanism, deterring agencies from using prohibited technologies by rendering any collected information inadmissible in legal contexts.
Section 2(f)
Grant Ineligibility for Non-Compliant Entities
States and local governments applying for funding under 'covered programs' (specifically the Byrne grant program and the COPS grant program) must certify that they do not maintain, access, lease, or operate any automated mass surveillance system or information derived from such a system. Failure to provide this certification makes them ineligible for these significant federal law enforcement grants.