Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee, Homeland Security Committee, Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This legislation imposes a moratorium on certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts related to surveillance and data analytics technologies. Specifically, it prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds for new awards, renewals, extensions, expansions, or modifications of contracts involving technologies that collect, aggregate, analyze, or operationalize personal information to identify, locate, or track individuals, especially for immigration enforcement operations. These covered technologies include facial recognition, social media monitoring, cellphone location tracking, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted targeting, and the moratorium applies to components like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The moratorium will remain in effect until a comprehensive audit and review of all covered surveillance technologies used by DHS is completed by the Inspector General, in coordination with the DHS Privacy Office and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. This audit must examine data collection practices, privacy and civil liberties impacts, the use of facial recognition, and compliance with federal laws. Following the audit, the Secretary of Homeland Security must publish a publicly available report detailing these technologies, their contractors, capabilities, privacy assessments, and data sharing policies. The moratorium can only terminate after the audit and public report are completed, and 90 days after the Secretary provides Congress with a report specifying implemented safeguards, legal authorities, and internal policies governing these technologies. An exception allows the Secretary to waive the moratorium on a case-by-case basis for contracts deemed necessary to address an imminent act of violence, specific threat to life or public safety, or a national security threat , provided a detailed justification is submitted to Congress. After the moratorium is lifted, the bill mandates annual reporting to Congress and the public on the Department's use of covered surveillance technologies, including new contracts, policy changes, and privacy incident summaries. Redactions in public reports are limited to information that would cause specific and identifiable harm to national security, with justification and Inspector General review.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Immigration
DHS Surveillance Technology Moratorium Act of 2026
USA119th CongressHR-9314| House
| Updated: 7/7/2026
This legislation imposes a moratorium on certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts related to surveillance and data analytics technologies. Specifically, it prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds for new awards, renewals, extensions, expansions, or modifications of contracts involving technologies that collect, aggregate, analyze, or operationalize personal information to identify, locate, or track individuals, especially for immigration enforcement operations. These covered technologies include facial recognition, social media monitoring, cellphone location tracking, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted targeting, and the moratorium applies to components like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The moratorium will remain in effect until a comprehensive audit and review of all covered surveillance technologies used by DHS is completed by the Inspector General, in coordination with the DHS Privacy Office and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. This audit must examine data collection practices, privacy and civil liberties impacts, the use of facial recognition, and compliance with federal laws. Following the audit, the Secretary of Homeland Security must publish a publicly available report detailing these technologies, their contractors, capabilities, privacy assessments, and data sharing policies. The moratorium can only terminate after the audit and public report are completed, and 90 days after the Secretary provides Congress with a report specifying implemented safeguards, legal authorities, and internal policies governing these technologies. An exception allows the Secretary to waive the moratorium on a case-by-case basis for contracts deemed necessary to address an imminent act of violence, specific threat to life or public safety, or a national security threat , provided a detailed justification is submitted to Congress. After the moratorium is lifted, the bill mandates annual reporting to Congress and the public on the Department's use of covered surveillance technologies, including new contracts, policy changes, and privacy incident summaries. Redactions in public reports are limited to information that would cause specific and identifiable harm to national security, with justification and Inspector General review.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.