Texas Comptroller Don Huffines signed an executive order on October 13 barring the use of grant money administered by his office to buy or contract for Flock cameras, automated license plate readers, and other vehicle-identification systems that turn license plate images into computer-readable data.1
What the Order Does
The restriction applies to all future grants administered by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and the agency says it will write the restriction into relevant grant solicitations and agreements going forward. Under the order, grantees may not obligate or spend grant funds to obtain prohibited surveillance equipment or services. They also may not use those funds to enter into, extend, or renew a contract for them.
The definition is broad. It covers any system, software, or algorithm, alone or paired with mobile or fixed automated cameras, that converts license plates or other images into computer-readable data. That includes cameras, sensors, software, subscriptions, and data platforms sold or operated by Flock Safety or similar systems from other vendors and companies.
“The government has no business tracking where law-abiding Texans drive. Doing it without a warrant is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution,” Huffines said. “Texans should be able to drive to work, to church, or to the grocery store without a government camera logging it in a database.”2
Why It Matters to Taxpayers
Surveillance subscriptions are a recurring cost. Once a local government signs a contract for cameras, software, and data storage, renewals tend to follow year after year. When state grant dollars cover those costs, local officials can expand a tracking network without ever asking their own constituents. And while a grant could cover the initial upfront cost, it could lead to a situation where local taxpayers are forced to pay for the recurring costs down the line. Closing that grant pipeline puts the decision, and the bill, back in front of the people who answer to local taxpayers.
Since taking office in August, Huffines has used his authority to help rein in government overreach. Last month, he signed an order to end state taxes 3on marketplace and platform fees, a tax neither the State Legislature nor Texas voters approved.4 In both cases, the Comptroller’s office acted within its clear authority to stop a practice Texans never voted for.
Scrutiny of these systems is growing statewide. Gov. Greg Abbott directed5 the Texas Department of Transportation in September to pause permits for license plate reader technology on state-owned roads, and lawmakers are expected to take up the issue in the 2027 legislative session.
However, Huffines’ executive order could be reversed by a future Comptroller. Other programs not administered by the Comptroller’s office and local government budgets remain open to the same purchases. Any lasting prohibition has to come from the State Legislature.
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- https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/media-center/news/20261013-no-spy-cameras-comptroller-huffines-announces-ban-on-grant-money-for-flock-cameras-and-license-plate-trackers-1791927171257 ↩︎
- https://x.com/txcomptroller/status/2110127177899425826 ↩︎
- https://texastaxpayers.com/huffines-on-the-move-ending-a-hidden-double-tax/ ↩︎
- https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/media-center/news/20260930-comptroller-don-huffines-ends-hidden-double-tax-on-texas-families-and-small-businesses-1790708719803 ↩︎
- https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/txdot-stopped-issuing-permits-flock-cameras-due-22439636.php ↩︎
