Pflugerville passes SAFE Act to regulate municipal AI and surveillance

The SAFE Act and local oversight

The Pflugerville City Council recently voted unanimously to pass the SAFE Act, a new ordinance designed to regulate how the city uses artificial intelligence and surveillance tools. This move follows growing public concern regarding automated tracking and the city's previous decision to cancel a contract with the Flock surveillance camera system. The goal of the act is to rebuild community trust by creating clear boundaries for technology use.

Council member Jonathan Coffman noted that while the city wants to use these tools to do their jobs effectively, they must also protect resident data. Mayor Doug Weiss emphasized that the policy aims to prevent the city from simply replacing one questionable technology with another under a different name. The new rules ensure that every high-risk software product must be thoroughly vetted before it is adopted.

To ensure transparency, the city will appoint a resident commission to review proposed technologies and provide recommendations to elected leaders. This commission will serve as a primary check on how emerging tech is integrated into municipal operations. The city is also tasked with identifying any high-risk software currently in use to bring it under this new approval process.

Core guardrails for city tech

The SAFE Act outlines six foundational safeguards that will govern all city technology moving forward. One of the most significant rules is the requirement for human review in critical areas. While AI can assist city employees with routine tasks, it is strictly prohibited from replacing human judgment in decisions involving law enforcement, code enforcement, permits, or access to city services.

Data privacy is another central pillar of the new ordinance, specifically targeting how municipal information is shared with outside parties. Vendors and third parties are forbidden from selling city data or using it for unrelated purposes, such as training general-purpose AI models, without express council approval. This prevents the city's information from being absorbed into private commercial AI systems without oversight.

The act also places specific restrictions on high-intensity surveillance methods. Technologies such as facial recognition, certain biometric identification systems, and social scoring systems that rate people based on behavior are prohibited without authorization. Additionally, the city must now secure written agreements and council approval for any outside organization seeking ongoing or direct access to municipal data.

Public transparency and reporting

To keep the public informed, the city will maintain a dedicated webpage and publish an annual report regarding its technology use. This report will identify high-risk technologies, explain how they are being utilized, and detail the specific safeguards currently in place. These disclosures will be subject to legal and security restrictions to ensure the city's infrastructure remains protected.

The push for these regulations comes from residents who expressed frustration over a perceived lack of communication regarding automated tracking. Resident Priscilla Aragon Kenny highlighted the need for the city to be honest and vocal about why they are implementing certain systems. She emphasized that residents should have a meaningful opportunity to decide if a specific technology is something the community actually wants.

By establishing these rules, Pflugerville is attempting to move away from a model of opaque technology adoption toward one of proactive communication. The city aims to ensure that technology serves the public interest rather than creating unintended consequences. This framework provides a roadmap for balancing modern efficiency with the protection of individual privacy rights.

Current AI and next steps

While the SAFE Act introduces new restrictions, the city already utilizes AI for several routine administrative and utility workflows. According to Councilman Coffman, these current applications include drafting emails, assembling reports, and preparing various presentations. The city also uses a smart water system that employs AI to analyze utility usage and flag active water leaks in real-time.

The next phase of the rollout involves a 90-day timeline to formalize the new oversight structure. During this period, the city must establish the resident advisory commission and launch the public transparency website. These steps will provide the first official platform for residents to see which high-risk systems are being vetted and why.

As the city identifies its current high-risk software, the council will begin the process of reviewing these tools against the new standards. This transition marks a shift toward a more regulated environment where technology is treated as a public utility subject to democratic oversight. The city will continue to monitor how these tools can best support public safety while adhering to the new privacy mandates.