A bipartisan amendment labeled Amendment 221 was killed during a May 21 markup of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry (R‑PA) and Rep. Jesús García (D‑IL), the proposal would have barred police use of license‑plate readers (LPR) by tying federal highway funds to toll‑only camera use. Its defeat leaves the status quo untouched.

Amendment 221 targeted Title 23 allocations, which disperse roughly $53‑$57 billion annually to states for road projects. Because nearly every jurisdiction accepting these funds also runs LPR systems, the measure would have forced agencies to choose between highway money and contracts with Flock, the nation’s largest LPR vendor serving over 5,000 police agencies. A 20‑yea‑44 nay vote ended it without debate.

Lobbying records show Don Andres, a former deputy chief of staff to García, now represents Flock, hinting at a coordinated push to blunt the amendment. Yet both committee chair Sam Graves (R‑MO) and ranking member Rick Larsen (D‑WA) voted against it, reflecting bipartisan resistance despite backlash in districts where Flock faced legal challenges. The vote preserves federal funding pathways for police LPR deployments.