Tech bills of the week: Restricting biometric use; expanding the quantum workforce; and more
A bicameral, Democratic-led bill is looking to restrict Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s use of biometric technology, namely facial recognition systems, as the agency continues its mass deportation operations across the country.
Introduced Feb. 5 by Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., along with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the ICE Out of Our Faces Act aims to place a broad prohibition on the acquisition and use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies by ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It also calls for the deletion of all biometric data collected by a covered immigration officer and creates legal recourse for individuals who believe their biometric data was unlawfully harnessed.
“This frictionless mass surveillance is the stuff of nightmares, and it raises serious questions about how the Trump administration developed and tested this technology, how often officers are using it, and what happens to the data once it is collected,” Markey said during a Wednesday press conference. “This bill shuts the door on biased, error-ridden facial recognition tools and requires these lawless agencies to delete any data they collected without your knowledge, without your consent.”
Quantum workforce report
Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Josh Riley, D-N.Y. introduced a new bill last week to spur the growth of the quantum science and technology industry workforce.
The bill, which was announced Feb. 2, would amend the National Quantum Initiative Act to order biennial reports from the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science documenting the implementation of the national strategic workforce plan to scale a quantum-ready workforce. Those reports would be submitted every two years to the president, the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee and relevant lawmakers.
Robots in Congress
A new commission focused on advanced robotics could be coming soon under legislation introduced Feb. 3 by Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Bob Latta, R-Ohio.
The National Commission on Robotics Act chiefly requires the Department of Commerce to create a Commission on American Leadership in Robotics to understand the robotics industry’s economic impact domestically and internationally, taking national security considerations into account.
The commission would have 18 members with expertise in the robotics industry, six of whom are to be presidential appointees, with others appointed by House majority and minority leadership. Those members would develop a report for the president compiling policy actions for the U.S. to maintain competitive leadership in robotics.
Safeguarding Digital Identities
In late January, Reps. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and Bill Foster, D-Ill., introduced the Stop Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Act to set a governmentwide approach for addressing often-exploited vulnerabilities in online identity verification.
The bill establishes grant funding for states to modernize identity verification systems, secure digital versions of existing credentials and protect against emergent risks from AI and deepfakes as a means to reduce cyberattack vectors.
The Stop Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Act builds on voluntary digital ID guidelines that Congress instructed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop. The bill does not mandate the installation of digital identification software and isn’t explicitly eliminating the need for physical credentials, like a driver’s license or passport.
Safeguarding veterans’ data
Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., and Tom Barrett, R-Mich., introduced the Veteran Data Accountability for Third-party Actors Act Jan. 30 to prevent third-party entities from mishandling and monetizing sensitive veteran data.
The bill asks for current contracts between private sector partners and the Department of Veterans Affairs to be updated with anti-monetization and misuse clauses. It also requires the VA to issue guidance on how to spot monetization by contractors and to periodically update Congress with efforts and progress in securing veteran data via contract updates.
Chip requirements for SNAP cards
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., introduced a bill on Feb. 2 that would amend the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act to require the creation of cybersecurity regulations for and implementation of chip-based payment processing technology for government-sponsored EBT cards under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Fighting AI cyberthreats
Bipartisan efforts are also underway to secure telecommunications networks from cyberthreats, focusing on emerging AI capabilities. Reps. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., and August Pfluger, R-Texas, introduced the AI for Secure Networks Act on Feb. 3 to require the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on:
- How AI can be used to improve the cybersecurity of telecommunications networks, including via connection with Open Radio Access Network Technology, virtual security technology, firewalls and others.
- The risks AI poses to telecommunications security.
- Upon completion, the study would be sent to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate, after which it will be made publicly available for comment.
Fighting biotech threats
Lawmakers in the upper chamber are proposing a measure to create a federal biosecurity framework. Introduced Feb. 4 by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., the Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act would target the misuse of gene synthesis technology.
The legislation would direct gene synthesis providers to screen their orders to weed out bad actors or potentially lethal pathogens. The measure also calls on government agencies to help develop an infrastructure for the biotech sector, including asking the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop tools, best practices, standards and more to guide gene synthesis safety.
“American innovations in biotechnology are too important to fall into the hands of bad actors or be hamstrung by outdated federal policies,” Cotton said in a statement. “This bill is an important first step towards a comprehensive framework for biosecurity and biosafety, which will encourage American innovation to flourish, while also protecting biotechnology breakthroughs in industries like medicine and agriculture.”
Scaling defense tech, regionally
House lawmakers also introduced bipartisan legislation on Feb. 3 to build up regional technology centers where defense technologies can grow.
The Defense Technology Hubs Act of 2026 — sponsored by Reps. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., Richard Hudson, R-N.C., Mark Messmer, R-Ind., and Deborah Ross, D-N.C. — would direct the Defense Department to stand up the initiative and establish a consortium of potential hubs that features a diverse selection of universities, defense contractors and other stakeholders.
The proposal calls for the creation of 10 defense technology hubs across diverse geographic regions of the U.S., although each hub would need to be situated near military and defense installations.
“To keep our military ahead of new threats, we need to move technology from the lab to the field faster,” Hudson said in a statement. “The Defense Technology Hubs Act speeds up innovation, strengthens our defense industrial base, and better facilitates the development of critical technologies here in the United States.”
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