FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher (Idaho-01) released the following statement after co-sponsoring H.R. 9716, the Protecting Rights in Video and Equipment Acquired Discovery (PRIVACY) Act.
“I’m proud to sign on to this legislation to protect the privacy rights of Idahoans from increasingly intrusive surveillance data collection and to prohibit the widespread deployment of such surveillance tools with federal dollars,” said Congressman Fulcher. “It’s simple: if the federal government wants to access state and local systems’ data on citizens, they need to get a warrant.”
Specifically, the legislation safeguards the privacy of Americans by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant from a Federal judge before accessing, receiving, querying, or otherwise obtaining surveillance data collected by state and local systems, such as:
- Automated license plate readers (ALPRs);
- Cameras that capture images of a vehicle’s occupants;
- Long-range microphones;
- Electronic fingerprint detection technology;
- Any substantially similar technology determined appropriate by the Attorney General.
Bill Background
The PRIVACY Act:
- Creates a list of intrusive technologies and requires federal law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing or querying data from those systems.
- Limits the retention of data obtained under a warrant to 30 days, unless the data constitutes evidence in a prosecution or a court grants a limited extension.
- Prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase or install such intrusive technologies, with limited exceptions.
To read the bill text, click here.
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About Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher is a fourth-generation Idahoan, grew up on a dairy farm in Meridian, Idaho. He was elected to Congress to represent Idaho's first congressional district in 2019 after serving in the Idaho State Senate for ten years. Visit https://fulcher.house.gov/ for more information or to find contact info.
