Congressman Tim Burchett Introduces Legislation Prohibiting Federal Funding Of Mass Surveillance Cameras

Image Credit: burchett.house.gov & Canva

Tennessee Conservative News [By David Seal] –

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) is with the majority of Tennessee citizens that object to the wholesale warrantless surveillance of people and vehicle traffic with cameras.

He is putting his money where his mouth is in proposing new legislation.

Burchett’s proposed legislation is titled the ‘‘Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act.” The act, if passed, will bar Federal agencies from purchasing or deploying mass surveillance systems. The bill would also prohibit local, state, and tribal governments from using Federal funds to facilitate the use of mass surveillance cameras.

Provisions of the bill would also deem any data obtained in violation of the act inadmissible in court or in an administrative proceeding. Section 3 (a) states “The head of any Federal agency that obtains data in violation of section 2(a) shall delete such data not later than 30 days after it is obtained.”

Burchett’s office issued the following statement on the proposed act.

“Introduction of the Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act: On July 21st, I introduced the “Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act” to rein in to use of invasive Flock cameras. This legislation will prohibit any body of the federal government from purchasing or deploying any automated surveillance technology. This bars anything used to track, identify, or otherwise watch over American citizens without knowledge or consent. Preventing government overreach has always been one of my most important goals in Congress. I will never stop fighting for your right to privacy.” – said Congressman Tim Burchett

A link to the text of the ‘‘Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act’’ is provided here.

The congressman’s proposal is reinforced by a groundswell of opposition to wholesale mass surveillance. 

Burchett is not the only legislator to express concerns about mass surveillance systems. At the state level, Tennessee Representative Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport) proposed legislation, HB 2608, to limit the use of equipment and data obtained by mass surveillance systems. Hulsey, a retired police officer, addressed the Tennessee Criminal Justice Subcommittee on March 25, 2026, with grave constitutional concerns about mass surveillance technology.

Hulsey said in committee, as he took the bill off-notice, that he was going to go away, but the issue would not. The Senate Judiciary Committee had previously “general subbed” the Senate Companion Bill SB 2215, essentially a means of killing the legislation my means of forced expiration. 

Hulsey stated “I want to read you an interesting statement by the former supreme court Judge William Brennan. He says,” “while the machinery of law enforcement, and indeed the nature of crime itself, have changed dramatically since the fourth amendment became part of the nation’s fundamental law in seventeen ninety-one. What the framers understood that remains true today, that the task of combating crime and convicting the guilty will in every area seem of such critical impressing concern that we may be lured by the temptations of expediency into forsaking our commitment to protecting individual liberty and privacy.”

Hulsey added as he closed his committee presentation. “I Think it’s a great statement and the biggest issue I heard from police about this was the Fourth Amendment requirement.  I still do believe any time you look backwards and harvest data with the purpose of establishing probable cause, or using for evidence, to convict somebody, I do think it needs a fourth amendment protection on it.

As constitutional principles wane, I think you will find tyranny becomes casual and we will become accustomed to it. Those things bother me a great deal.”

Tennessee’s own State Constitution provides even stronger protection concerning privacy and unwarranted surveillance. Mass surveillance of citizens without probable cause or specific things to be searched for behaves very similarly to what our founding fathers included in the Declaration of Rights when they warned against “general warrants.” 

“That the people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and possessions, from unreasonable searches and seizures; and that general warrants, whereby an officer may be commanded to search suspected places, without evidence of the fact committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, whose offences are not particularly described and supported by evidence, are dangerous to liberty, and ought not to be granted.” – Tennessee Constitution Article 1, § 7.

Finally, the Chair of the Washington County Republican Party opined in a recent letter to the Johnson City Press on the subject of mass surveillance. 

The chair states in part, “Conservatives have long argued that government should investigate suspects—not monitor everyone in hopes of finding one. Republicans believe in limited government, individual liberty, and constitutional protections—not surveillance systems that record the movements of millions of law-abiding citizens. They believe government should investigate suspects based on individualized suspicion—not create permanent systems capable of tracking everyone.” – said Daniel Goodrich, Chair, Washington County Republican Party

About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.