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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 4695

Rep. Lieu Introduces Bill to Require Warrants for Police Use of Facial Recognition

Facial Recognition Act of 2025

8 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Senate
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Key Points

  • Police and federal agents would need a court order — similar to a search warrant — before using facial recognition to search photo databases. A prosecutor must show probable cause that the person committed a serious crime, and the search must happen within 7 days of the order being issued.

    From policy text

    “a court of competent jurisdiction may issue an order authorizing the use of facial recognition in conjunction with a reference photo database if a prosecutor submits an application to that court that establishes the following”
    View in full text
  • The bill bans several controversial uses of the technology. Police cannot use facial recognition with body cameras, dashboard cameras, drones, or for real-time tracking of people in public. It also prohibits using facial recognition to monitor people exercising their constitutional rights, like protesting or free speech.

    From policy text

    “Any investigative or law enforcement officer may not use or request facial recognition in conjunction with any image obtained from a body camera worn by that or any other officer, dashboard camera, or any aircraft camera, including a drone.”
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  • Law enforcement is banned from using facial recognition to enforce immigration laws or sharing facial recognition data with other agencies for immigration enforcement purposes.

    From policy text

    “use facial recognition to enforce the immigration laws of the United States or share facial recognition data with other agencies for the purposes of enforcing the immigration laws of the United States.”
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  • All facial recognition systems must pass annual accuracy and bias tests run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. If a system shows significant accuracy differences based on race, ethnicity, gender, or age, police would be barred from using it. A facial recognition match alone cannot be the sole basis for an arrest.

    From policy text

    “A facial recognition match may not be the sole basis upon which probable cause is established for a search, arrest, or other law enforcement action.”
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  • Arrest photo databases must be cleaned every six months, removing photos of minors, people released without charges, people whose charges were dropped, and those found not guilty. The bill authorizes $5 million per year from 2026-2029 for NIST to develop testing standards.
  • States and local governments that don't comply face a 15% cut in federal criminal justice grants. People whose rights are violated can sue for at least $50,000 per violation, and states cannot claim immunity from these lawsuits.

    From policy text

    “if the State or unit of local government fails to substantially to comply with the requirements under this Act for a fiscal year, the Attorney General shall reduce the amount that would otherwise be awarded to that State or unit of local government under such grant program in the following fiscal year by 15 percent.”
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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jul 23, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Jul 23, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

90 days after enactment

Law enforcement agencies must publish their facial recognition policies online

Within 90 days of enactment, every covered agency would need a public policy explaining how they use facial recognition, giving people transparency into how the technology is being used in their community.

180 days after enactment

Arrest photo database cleanup begins

Starting 180 days after enactment, photos of minors, people never charged, and those acquitted must be removed from arrest databases every six months. This could affect millions of photos currently in law enforcement systems.

18 months after enactment

Accuracy and bias testing requirements take effect

18 months after enactment, police agencies cannot use any facial recognition system that hasn't passed NIST's benchmark accuracy and bias tests. Systems that perform poorly on certain racial or gender groups would be banned from law enforcement use.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Facial Recognition Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 4695
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(5)
D: 5

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.