Scope: Federal
Branch: Legislative
Severity: Amber
Date occurred: September 24, 2026
A bill was introduced in the Senate to prohibit biometric surveillance by the Federal Government absent explicit statutory authorization. It would also withhold certain federal public safety grants from State and local governments that engage in biometric surveillance. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Constitutional basis: Congress legislating limits on executive surveillance authority and conditioning grants to states; introduced bill with no committee action or vote yet.