Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act of 2021

To prohibit biometric surveillance by the Federal Government without explicit statutory authorization and to withhold certain Federal public safety grants from State and local governments that engage in biometric surveillance. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act of 2021 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Biometric surveillance system The term biometric surveillance system (2) Byrne grant program The term Byrne grant program 34 U.S.C. 10151 et seq. (3) Facial recognition The term facial recognition (A) assists in identifying an individual, capturing information about an individual, or otherwise generating or assisting in generating surveillance information about an individual based on the physical characteristics of the individual’s face; or (B) logs characteristics of an individual’s face, head, or body to infer emotion, associations, activities, or the location of an individual. (4) Federal official The term Federal official (5) In the united states The term in the United States (6) Other remote biometric recognition The term other remote biometric recognition (A) means an automated or semi-automated process that— (i) assists in identifying an individual, capturing information about an individual, or otherwise generating or assisting in generating surveillance information about an individual based on the characteristics of the individual’s gait or other immutable characteristic ascertained from a distance; (ii) uses voice recognition technology; or (iii) logs such characteristics to infer emotion, associations, activities, or the location of an individual; and (B) does not include identification based on fingerprints or palm prints. (7) Voice recognition technology The term voice recognition technology 3. Prohibition on Federal Government use of biometric surveillance (a) In general Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for any Federal agency or Federal official, in an official capacity, to acquire, possess, access, or use in the United States— (1) any biometric surveillance system; or (2) information derived from a biometric surveillance system operated by another entity. (b) Exception The prohibition set forth in subsection (a) does not apply to activities explicitly authorized by an Act of Congress that describes, with particularity— (1) the entities permitted to use the biometric surveillance system, the specific type of biometric authorized, the purposes for such use, and any prohibited uses; (2) standards for use and management of information derived from the biometric surveillance system, including data retention, sharing, access, and audit trails; (3) auditing requirements to ensure the accuracy of biometric surveillance system technologies, standards for minimum accuracy rates, and accuracy rates by gender, skin color, and age; (4) rigorous protections for due process, privacy, free speech and association, and racial, gender, and religious equity; and (5) mechanisms to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act. (c) Judicial investigations and proceedings (1) Admissibility Except in a judicial investigation or proceeding alleging a violation of this section, information obtained in violation of this section is not admissible by the Federal Government in any criminal, civil, administrative, or other investigation or proceeding. (2) Cause of action (A) In general A violation of this section constitutes an injury to any individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act. (B) Right to sue An individual described in subparagraph (A) may institute proceedings against the Federal Government whose official is alleged to have violated this section for the relief described in subparagraph (D) in any court of competent jurisdiction. (C) Enforcement by state attorneys general The chief law enforcement officer of a State, or any other State officer authorized by law to bring actions on behalf of the residents of a State, may bring a civil action, as parens patriae, on behalf of the residents of that State in an appropriate district court of the United States to enforce this Act, whenever the chief law enforcement officer or other State officer has reason to believe that the interests of the residents of the State have been or are being threatened or adversely affected by a violation of this Act. (D) Relief In a civil action brought under subparagraph (B) in which the plaintiff prevails, the court may award— (i) actual damages; (ii) punitive damages; (iii) reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs; and (iv) any other relief, including injunctive relief, that the court determines to be appropriate. (d) Civil penalties Any Federal official who is found to have violated this section may be subject to retraining, suspension, termination, or any other penalty, as determined in an appropriate tribunal, subject to applicable due process requirements. (e) Federal funding (1) In general No Federal funds may be obligated or expended by a Federal law enforcement agency for the purchase or use of a biometric surveillance system. (2) Unallocated funds No Federal agency may use any unallocated funds appropriated to the agency for the purchase or use of a biometric surveillance system. (f) Rules of construction Nothing in this section may be construed— (1) to prohibit the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from testing or researching biometric surveillance systems or other remote biometric recognition technologies in commercial use; or (2) to preempt or supersede any Federal, State, or local law that imposes a more stringent limitation than the limitations described in this section. 4. Moratorium on State and local government use of biometric surveillance systems (a) Federal financial assistance Beginning on the first day of the first fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, a State or unit of local government is ineligible to receive Federal financial assistance under the Byrne grant program unless the State or unit of local government is complying with a law or policy that is substantially similar to the prohibition set forth in section 3(a). (b) Rule of construction Nothing in this section may be construed to preempt or supersede any Federal, State, or local law that imposes a more stringent limitation than the prohibition set forth in section 3(a).

Summary: Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act of 2021 This bill imposes limits on the use of biometric surveillance systems, such as facial recognition systems, by federal and state government entities. A federal agency or official may not in an official capacity acquire, possess, or use in the United States any such system or information obtained by such a system unless Congress passes an act that specifically authorizes such a use. Such an act of Congress must contain certain provisions, such as provisions naming the specific authorized entity and auditing requirements relating to the system. Information obtained in violation of this bill shall not be admissible by the federal government in any proceeding or investigation, except in a proceeding alleging a violation of this bill. An individual aggrieved by a violation of these restrictions shall have the right to sue. Any state officer authorized to sue on behalf of the state's residents shall also have the right to sue on behalf of the state's aggrieved residents. A state or local government unit shall not receive certain federal law enforcement grants unless the government unit complies with a law or policy that is substantially similar to this bill's restrictions on acquiring and using biometric surveillance systems.