The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act of 2026 would ban the federal government from using facial recognition, voice recognition, gait recognition, and other biometric surveillance systems unless Congress explicitly authorizes such use through specific legislation that includes strict safeguards. The law would also cut federal public safety grants from state and local governments that use biometric surveillance, starting in the first fiscal year after the bill becomes law. Federal agencies could not spend money on purchasing or operating these surveillance systems, and individuals harmed by violations could sue the federal government for actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. The bill includes an exception allowing the National Institute of Standards and Technology to continue testing these technologies for research purposes, and it does not prevent states or localities from imposing even stricter limits on biometric surveillance than the federal ban requires.