Died in committee
Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act
25%of the way to law
Good for your rightsIntroduced
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Became Law
Introduced in both chambers; referred to committee
Would ban federal agencies from using facial recognition and other remote biometric surveillance unless Congress authorizes a specific use, and cut federal public safety grants to police that keep using it.
Latest update
Introduced
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Contact CongressThe bill
H.R.10563 official recordS.5544 official recordKey facts
- Where
- United States
- Bill number
- H.R.10563 / S.5544 (119th)
- Status
- Introduced
- Introduced
- H.R.10563: September 24, 2026
S.5544: September 24, 2026 - Threat
- Low
- Last update
- September 24, 2026
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What it does
The bill would make it unlawful for federal agencies and officials to acquire, access or use biometric surveillance systems, or data taken from systems run by others, including face, voice and gait recognition. Congress could lift the ban only through a later law that spells out who may use the technology, for what, and under which accuracy, audit and due process rules. Evidence gathered in violation could not be used by the federal government in court, people harmed could sue for damages, and state attorneys general could enforce it. State and local governments would lose federal public safety grants unless they adopt a matching ban.
What’s at stake
Facial recognition lets the government identify people at protests, clinics and churches from a camera feed, with no warrant and no notice. ICE and CBP already run a mobile face-scanning app in the field. A statutory ban with a suppression rule and a right to sue has more teeth than agency policy.
Our take
This is the strongest federal limit on face surveillance on offer, and it has now been filed in four Congresses without a committee vote. The 2026 version has no Republican cosponsors, while Republicans are writing their own camera bills like the FLAFO Act and the Flock-Off Act. Surveillance critics on both sides are circling the same problem and have yet to meet on one bill.
Timeline
IntroducedLatest
Referred to committee
The record
Sponsor
Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
Cosponsors (8)
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Greg Casar (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Eleanor Norton (D-DC)
Committee
Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Judiciary Committee
Previous versions
Died in committee
Died in committee
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