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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>71082</law_id><section_number>23.1-815.1</section_number><catch_line>(Effective July 1, 2026) Facial recognition technology; approval</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="23.1">Institutions of Higher Education; Other Educational and Cultural Institutions</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Students and Campus</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Health and Campus Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Campus Safety; Campus Police Departments</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> For purposes of this subsection, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">facial recognition technology</span>&#x201D; means an electronic <span class="dictionary">system</span> for enrolling, capturing, extracting, comparing, and matching an individual&#x2019;s geometric facial data to identify individuals in photos, videos, or real time. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Facial recognition technology</span>&#x201D; does not include the use of an automated or semi-automated process to redact a recording in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to protect the privacy of a subject depicted in the recording prior to release or disclosure of the recording outside of the <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency if the process does not generate or result in the retention of any biometric data or surveillance information.B. No campus police department shall purchase or deploy <span class="dictionary">facial recognition technology</span> unless such purchase or deployment of <span class="dictionary">facial recognition technology</span> is expressly authorized by <span class="dictionary">statute</span>. For purposes of this section, a <span class="dictionary">statute</span> that does not refer to <span class="dictionary">facial recognition technology</span> shall not be construed to provide express authorization. Such <span class="dictionary">statute</span> shall require that any <span class="dictionary">facial recognition technology</span> purchased or deployed by the campus police department be maintained under the exclusive control of such campus police department and that any data contained by such <span class="dictionary">facial recognition technology</span> be kept confidential, not be disseminated or resold, and be accessible only by a <span class="dictionary">search warrant</span> issued pursuant to Chapter 5 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="When search warrant may issue" href="/19.2-52/">19.2-52</a> et seq.) of Title 19.2 or an administrative or inspection warrant issued pursuant to <span class="dictionary">law</span>.2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 537. <a id="paragraph-256300" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-815.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><metadata></metadata></law>
