HR 9800
Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act
TL;DR
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) introduced this bill to restrict federal government use of mass surveillance tools, which could include AI-powered surveillance systems like facial recognition and bulk data monitoring. It targets government agencies rather than private companies directly, but vendors selling surveillance tech to the feds would feel the impact.
How This Might Impact Your Business
Government contractors selling facial recognition, license plate readers, or AI-powered surveillance tools to federal agencies could lose a major customer if the bill passes.
Cloud providers and data brokers with federal contracts may face new restrictions on bulk data collection and sharing arrangements.
Companies building biometric identification systems (fingerprint, iris, voice, gait analysis) for federal buyers should expect procurement scrutiny.
Defense and intelligence contractors may see carve-outs, but civilian agency contracts (DHS, IRS, ATF) would likely face the tightest limits.
No direct penalties on private businesses, the bill regulates federal agency conduct, not commercial AI deployment.
Bill sits in the House Oversight Committee with a single Republican sponsor and no listed cosponsors, meaning near-term passage is unlikely.
Companies exclusively serving private-sector or state/local law enforcement clients are not directly affected.
What Should You Do
If your company sells surveillance or biometric AI to federal agencies, ask your government affairs team to pull a list of active contracts that could be at risk.
Have your sales team identify diversification opportunities in state, local, and commercial markets to reduce federal revenue concentration.
Track the bill's committee progress through House Oversight; with one sponsor and no cosponsors, set a low-priority monitoring alert rather than dedicating legal resources now.
Review marketing materials that emphasize federal surveillance use cases, as public sentiment on this topic is shifting regardless of whether this specific bill advances.
Who It Affects
Sponsors
Status Timeline
committee
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
July 21, 2026