HR 3693
To prohibit the Federal Government from establishing or maintaining a database that contains data collected through, or facilitates, the biometric identity verification of a citizen of the United States, and for other purposes.
TL;DR
Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-TN) wants to ban the federal government from building or maintaining any database that collects or enables biometric identity verification (think facial recognition, fingerprints, iris scans) of US citizens. It's a privacy-focused bill aimed squarely at federal agencies, not private companies.
How This Might Impact Your Business
Federal agencies would be barred from operating biometric ID databases covering US citizens, which could disrupt vendors selling facial recognition, fingerprint, or iris-scan tech to agencies like DHS, TSA, SSA, and IRS.
Government contractors in the biometrics space (companies like Clearview AI, Idemia, or NEC) could lose federal contracts or need to restructure how they store and process citizen data.
Private sector use of biometrics (retail loss prevention, workplace access, banking KYC) is not directly restricted by this bill.
Airlines, airports, and travel companies partnering with TSA on biometric boarding programs could see those programs paused or scaled back.
Financial institutions relying on federal biometric verification systems for identity checks may need alternative verification workflows.
The bill is currently in the House Oversight Committee with no hearing scheduled, and given divided attention on AI issues, passage this session is uncertain.
No penalties or private right of action are specified in the current text; enforcement would fall on federal agency compliance.
What Should You Do
If you sell biometric tech or services to the federal government, have your business development team map current and pipeline contracts that could be affected.
Travel, airline, and hospitality executives should ask operations teams whether current TSA biometric partnerships have contingency plans.
Banks and fintechs using any federal biometric verification hooks should ask compliance teams to identify alternative KYC pathways.
Track the bill through the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; watch for a companion Senate bill, which would signal real momentum.
Brief your government affairs team so they can weigh in during committee markup if your business depends on federal biometric infrastructure.
Who It Affects
Sponsors
Status Timeline
committee
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
June 3, 2025