# 119-s-1691: Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025

119-s-1691, Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1691
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1691
- Congress: 119
- Title: Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-05-08
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Limits airport facial recognition and strengthens passenger privacy.** This bill would add a new rule to federal law that narrows when and how the Transportation Security Administration can use facial recognition at airports. It would require consent, tight data limits, clear notices, and regular oversight to protect travelers. - Passengers: Biometric capture, storage, or processing would be prohibited except for limited uses. General passengers could opt in at the screening location only after giving affirmative express consent, and anyone who opts out must be verified using an approved ID without biometric collection. Biometric data for broad 1:N checks could be kept no longer than 24 hours after a scheduled flight. - Trusted Traveler enrollees: The bill would allow facial recognition for identity verification of enrolled travelers but only with clear notice at enrollment and renewal, an opt-out option, equal treatment for opt-outs, and limits on how biometric data is used for testing. Images collected before enactment must be deleted within 90 days. - TSA and oversight: The bill would ban passive surveillance, tracking, profiling, and targeted use of biometrics outside screening locations. It would require the Government Accountability Office to produce a baseline study within 1 year and annual reports on effectiveness, costs, error rates, and bias disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, and sex.

## Cosponsors (5)

- Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New passenger biometric privacy limits: benefit, medium. If enacted, TSA would be banned from collecting or storing passengers' biometric images from facial-recognition systems except narrow, listed exceptions. The bill would require TSA to delete previously held biometric data within 90 days when that data would be banned. New rules would limit new biom…
- Annual GAO study of face-matching: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Comptroller General would study TSA use of one-to-one and one-to-many face-matching and report to Congress within one year and then every year. Reports must assess security, passenger experience, and costs, report false positive and negative rates, study bias by age, race, ethnicity…
- New ID scan and opt-in rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would require clear notices and choices for identity checks at airports. Trusted Traveler enrollees would get clear notice at enrollment and an opt-out to avoid facial recognition, and those who opt out must be checked by an approved ID without collecting biometrics. For other…
- Temporary Trusted Traveler testing exception: mixed, low. If enacted, TSA could retain face images in separate testing areas for Trusted Traveler identity checks for testing and evaluation. Testing sites must give clear notice, follow privacy rules, and delete test images no later than 90 days after collection. Test images may be used only to evaluate the…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.

## Sources
- [119-s-1691 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1691)

## Related
- [119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1261)
- [119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1032)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1691 (as of 2026-09-10).