Traffic Camera Freedom Act of 2019

Traffic Camera Freedom Act of 2019

This bill directs the Department of Transportation to withhold from states allocations of transportation funding unless such states enact and enforce certain laws to prevent the use of automated traffic enforcement systems. (An automated traffic enforcement system is any camera which captures an image of a vehicle for the purposes of red light and speed enforcement.)

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2962 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2962

 To amend chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, to condition the 
   receipt of certain highway funding by States on the enactment of 
   certain laws to prevent the use of automated traffic enforcement 
                                systems.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2019

  Mr. Wright introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, to condition the 
   receipt of certain highway funding by States on the enactment of 
   certain laws to prevent the use of automated traffic enforcement 
                                systems.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Traffic Camera Freedom Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF AUTOMATED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT 
              SYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 171. Prohibition on the use of automated traffic enforcement 
              systems
    ``(a) Laws Prohibiting Automated Traffic Enforcement Systems.--A 
State meets the requirements of this subsection if the State has 
enacted and is enforcing a law that prohibits the use of automated 
traffic enforcement systems.
    ``(b) Withholding of Funds for Noncompliance.--On October 1 of the 
first year after enactment, and on October 1 of each fiscal year 
thereafter, the Secretary shall withhold 50 percent of the amount 
required to be apportioned to a State under each of paragraphs (1) and 
(2) of section 104(b) if the State does not meet the requirements of 
subsection (a).
    ``(c) Period of Availability of Withheld Funds; Effect of 
Compliance and Noncompliance.--
            ``(1) Period of availability of withheld funds.--Any funds 
        withheld under subsection (b) from apportionment to a State 
        shall remain available for apportionment to the State until the 
        end of the third fiscal year following the fiscal year for 
        which the funds are authorized to be appropriated.
            ``(2) Apportionment of withheld funds after compliance.--
        If, before the last day of the period for which funds withheld 
        under subsection (b) from apportionment are to remain available 
        for apportionment to a State under paragraph (1), the State 
        meets the requirements of subsection (a), the Secretary shall, 
        on the first day on which the State meets the requirements of 
        subsection (a), apportion to the State the funds withheld under 
        subsection (b) that remain available for apportionment to the 
        State.
            ``(3) Period of availability of subsequently apportioned 
        funds.--Any funds apportioned pursuant to paragraph (2)--
                    ``(A) shall remain available for expenditure until 
                the end of the third fiscal year following the fiscal 
                year in which the funds are so apportioned; and
                    ``(B) if not apportioned at the end of that period, 
                shall lapse.
            ``(4) Effect of noncompliance.--If, at the end of the 
        period for which funds withheld under subsection (b) from 
        apportionment are available for apportionment to a State under 
        paragraph (1), the State does not meet the requirements of 
        subsection (a), the funds shall lapse.
    ``(d) Definition of Automated Traffic Enforcement System.--In this 
section, the term `automated traffic enforcement system' has the 
meaning given such term in section 402(c)(4)(B) of title 23, United 
States Code.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``171. Prohibition on the use of automated traffic enforcement 
                            systems.''.
                                 <all>