Carter’s Facial Recognition Protections Bill Passes House

DENVER, CO – The House today passed Rep. Michael Carter’s bipartisan bill to protect the biometric data of students and staff collected by schools. 

“Technology is advancing quickly, and it’s important that we uphold the privacy of our students and staff,” said Rep. Michael Carter, D-Aurora. “While facial recognition technology can be helpful for schools in certain safety scenarios, such as locating a missing student, any biometric data that is collected must be stored securely. The passage of this bipartisan bill helps protect our students and staff, making sure their biometric data is not shared freely.”

SB25-143, also sponsored by Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, passed the House by a vote of 63-2. This bill extends biometric data protections for students and staff. Without SB25-143, schools would be permitted to use facial recognition software freely beginning in July 2025. This bill reaffirms guardrails already in place to protect the biometric data schools obtain regarding students and staff. The goal of SB25-143 is to maintain student privacy in an era where technology continues to advance, while permitting facial recognition software in limited school safety scenarios. 

Under the bill, schools are allowed to use facial recognition technology for a limited scope of school safety. This could include using it for locating a missing student or identifying a person of interest. SB25-143 would create an opt-in program for school districts and charter schools.