Hawley Seeks Ten-Day Limit on Driver Data in AI Camera Safeguards Bill

Sen. Josh Hawley is seeking federal safeguards for AI-powered license-plate cameras, including a ten-day limit on keeping driver data. On September 30, 2026, the Missouri Republican said he would introduce the Stop Flock Abuse Act. That announcement sets out proposed restrictions on surveillance networks—not a law already protecting drivers or confirmation that the bill has been introduced.

The proposal follows Hawley’s investigation into AI-powered surveillance cameras and a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing he chaired. His office said Flock Safety’s CEO declined to testify, but the company provided written answers. According to Hawley’s office, Flock agreed that Congress should create a federal framework and acknowledged adding some product guardrails after public scrutiny.

A search would need approval and a paper trail

The search rules would place oversight both before and after someone accesses the network. A written approval process would record every search authorization. Agencies would also maintain logs showing who searched, the reason for the search, who approved it and what information the user viewed.

Supervisors would regularly audit those records. Hawley’s announcement identifies repeated searches of the same person and suspicious justifications as warning signs to monitor. The proposed oversight therefore covers more than recording that a search happened: it would preserve the stated purpose, the authorization and the information accessed for later review.

Limits on sharing, storage and identification

The data-sharing restriction would apply to local governments that collect vehicle-location information. They could neither sell it nor share it with non-governmental third parties. Hawley’s office describes this provision as protecting driver records from third-party vendors and disclosure through Freedom of Information Act requests.

That restriction is specifically described in terms of non-governmental recipients; it is not presented as a blanket ban on sharing between government agencies. Separate provisions address how records are secured and which technologies can be used in automatic license-plate reader networks, known as ALPR networks:

• Encrypt the data and keep it in the United States. The proposed security rules would require encryption and prohibit data from leaving the country.
• Exclude technology sourced from foreign adversaries. The restriction would cover both hardware and software used for automatic license-plate reading.
• Prohibit facial recognition in ALPR networks. This would set a separate limit on the identification technology those networks may incorporate.