US HB4695: Facial Recognition Act of 2025

In one paragraph

The federal H.R. 4695 (Facial Recognition Act of 2025) would let officers use facial recognition with a reference photo database only under a court order lasting no more than 7 days, or narrow emergency exceptions. It would ban face surveillance and use for immigration enforcement, bar a match as the sole basis for probable cause, require NIST accuracy testing and audits, exclude evidence from violations and allow suits for the greater of profits or $50,000 per violation. Introduced July 23, 2025 and referred to the House Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology committees; no further action.

Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.

What it means for business

None yet: the bill is pending. The duties fall on law enforcement, not private businesses; facial recognition systems used by agencies would have to meet NIST accuracy and independent testing requirements.

Key provisions

1. 1Sec. 101: an officer "may only use or request facial recognition" with a reference photo database under a court order (search period not more than 7 days) or emergency exceptions; emergency uses need a prosecutor's order application within 12 hours
2. 2Sec. 101(a)(2): from 180 days after enactment, arrest photo databases must remove photos of minors and of people released without charge, dismissed or acquitted
3. 3Sec. 102: no face surveillance, no use to enforce immigration laws, no use with body camera, dashboard camera or drone images, and a match may not be the sole basis for probable cause
4. 4Secs. 104-106: reporting by judges and prosecutors, annual audits (agencies must cease use until violations are fixed), and NIST accuracy and independent testing (Sec. 106 takes effect 18 months after enactment)
5. 5Sec. 107: evidence from violations is inadmissible; civil damages of the greater of profits or $50,000 per violation, with suits filed within two years
6. 6Sec. 2: states and localities that fail to substantially comply face a 15 percent cut in a covered Justice grant; Sec. 201 authorizes $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for NIST
7. 7Sec. 203: within 90 days after enactment each covered agency must post a facial recognition policy

Latest legislative action

Jul 23, 2025. 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.