Colorado Permits School Facial Recognition For Safety And Security Functions.
Colorado Permits School Facial Recognition – The U.S. state of Colorado has passed new legislation permitting the limited use of facial recognition technology in public schools, marking a shift from its previous moratorium.
SB25-143 authorises public schools to deploy facial recognition systems strictly for defined safety and security functions, subject to local school board approval. These functions include identifying individuals who have made violent threats against a school, locating missing children on campus, and enforcing court orders or administrative restrictions against certain individuals entering school grounds.
Legislators included safeguards in the bill to address concerns over data retention and privacy. Biometric data collected under the law must be deleted within 18 months, and the technology may only operate continuously for security functions explicitly approved under the legislation. These provisions aim to maintain transparency and limit overreach while enabling practical safety applications.
The passage of SB25-143 follows testimony from school officials and security personnel, who outlined incidents where facial recognition systems had directly contributed to student safety. Although broader uses of facial recognition in Colorado remain constrained under law, the exception for school security introduces a framework that may serve as a reference point for future deployments in other states and is likely to influence legislators globally.
The bill prohibits processing the biometric identifiers obtained from the facial recognition services without consent, and a school must provide notice of the use of facial recognition software.
Further, each school district must develop a policy governing the use of facial recognition technology, including clear guidelines on access and oversight. This policy must designate specific authorised personnel, such as school administrators and law enforcement officials, who are permitted to process facial recognition data in response to an articulable and significant threat against the school.
Senate Bill 25-143, approved by the Colorado General Assembly on April 4, lifts the 2022 restriction specifically for education facilities, while continuing to limit its use across other government sectors. The bill awaits the governor’s signature.
You can read the text of the bill here or find more SEN news here.
“Colorado Permits School Facial Recognition For Safety And Security Functions.”
