NY School FR Moratorium (Rochester effects)

Rochester / Lockport-area School Facial Recognition Restriction (NY Part BB, 2020)
Rochester, NY · Part BB of ch. 56 of Laws of 2020; N.Y. Educ. Law 2-d-1

Status: In effect
Took effect: December 22, 2020
Applies to: School districts in Rochester (Rochester City School District) and other NY districts
Enforced by: New York State Education Department

New York State law triggered by Lockport City SD's facial recognition deployment bars schools statewide — including Rochester-area districts — from acquiring or using biometric identifying technology without state authorization.

Who is protected: K-12 students in Rochester and across New York State

Legal detail

Part BB of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2020 (codified at N.Y. Educ. Law 2-d-1) prohibits public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools from purchasing or using biometric identifying technology — including facial recognition — until the State Education Department's report and authorization process is complete; that authorization has not been granted as of 2026.

Key facts

Jurisdiction	Rochester, NY
Level	City / local
Strength	Stronger
Enacted	December 22, 2020
Citation	Part BB of ch. 56 of Laws of 2020; N.Y. Educ. Law 2-d-1
Topics	facial recognition · biometric data · education AI · children's online safety
Statute	N.Y. Educ. Law 2-d-1 — Biometric Identifying Technology in Schools

Related facial recognition rules elsewhere

Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
Bristol VA PD facial recognition program (first VA local agency) · In effect
Dallas PD Clearview AI facial recognition policy · In effect
Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
Texas v. Google · In effect

See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.