Facial Recognition Act of 2025

The Facial Recognition Act of 2025 would impose a comprehensive federal framework to govern how law enforcement can use facial recognition (FR) technology. It largely requires warrants or court orders for searches of reference photo databases, tight controls on how and when FR may be used (including emergency exceptions with near-immediate court review), strong Civil Rights/Civil Liberties protections (to limit bias, privacy intrusions, and racial profiling), and extensive reporting, auditing, and testing requirements to ensure accuracy and accountability. The bill also strengthens transparency for the public, creates enforcement mechanisms (including potential civil actions), and ties federal funding to compliance. A key feature is funding leverage: states that fail to comply could see a 15% reduction in certain grant awards in the following year. The act would set up standards and ongoing assessment through NIST and require agency-level policies, notices to individuals, and regular public reporting.