Colorado Legislature Approves Facial Recognition Technology for School Security Despite Other Restrictions

SILVER SPRING, Md. – Colorado’s SB25-143 is now headed to Gov. Jared Polis after clearing the Colorado General Assembly on April 4, 2025. The measure lifts an existing moratorium on new use of facial recognition technology – for certain applications – by Colorado public schools that has been in place since 2022, while extending the prohibition applicable to all other uses past July 1, when it is currently  set to expire.

As originally drafted, the measure would have imposed a complete prohibition on the use of the technology in K-12 schools – drawing immediate opposition from the Colorado school community, which pressed for changes throughout the legislative process.

Colorado school districts have successfully used facial recognition technology for years as an added line of defense and an enhanced tool for student safety. Throughout 2023 and 2024, school district representatives had provided extensive information to the Colorado General Assembly’s Task Force for the Consideration of Facial Recognition Services regarding the importance of the technology in key limited applications.

Evidence of facial recognition’s effectiveness were provided during testimony on the bill in the House and Senate education committees. For example, one technology expert from one Colorado district relayed a scenario in which the technology was used in response to previous incidents to help ensure school personnel knew if a specific special needs child tried to abruptly exit and wander away the building – in time to intervene and prevent endangerment from a nearby busy highway.

As a result of these efforts, SB25-143 as passed by the legislature authorizes school districts to use facial recognition technology for educational purposes approved by local school boards, as well as for narrowly defined school safety and security purposes. Those purposes include 1) alerting staff to the presence of individuals who have made threats of violence against a school, 2) helping to immediately locate missing children on school grounds or help determine their whereabouts and 3) providing alerts to staff in common situations where specific individuals are prohibited from entering school grounds under a court order or district determination. 

“We commend the bill sponsors for recognizing the importance of advanced technologies that are increasingly critical to greater school safety and security,” said Jake Parker, senior director of government relations with the Security Industry Association (SIA). “It is essential that we ensure our school security professionals can responsibly leverage such technologies to best protect students, teachers and staff using proven best practices.”

With enactment of the measure Colorado would remain the only U.S. state with statutory restrictions specific to the use of facial recognition technology by schools.

“Additionally, we are pleased that SIA was included to participate in Colorado’s Facial Recognition Task Force as it considered these issues and will continue to provide subject matter expertise from the security industry on this important technology,” said Parker.

SIA has provided more details here.

About SIA

SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,500 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members’ interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through education and training, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industry’s top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.