Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
To Inform Families First Act of 2025
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "To Inform Families First Act of 2025" aims to encourage states to include emergency contact info in their driver's license and ID systems. The Secretary of Transportation will create a program through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help states do this. States can receive assistance through grants or technical help. This program requires that providing information remains a voluntary choice for individuals. It also mandates specific security and access rules for the data collected.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +5
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill mandates robust data security protections and restricted access to personal information.
- Scored +4
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The bill emphasizes that information sharing is voluntary and requires strong security measures.
- Scored +1
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires an annual report to Congress on the program's implementation.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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State Support for Implementation: The bill provides assistance to states through grants or technical assistance to develop systems for collecting emergency contact information (Section 2(a), 2(b)).
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Voluntary Participation: The system ensures that individuals are not forced to provide their emergency contact information, as the provision must be voluntary (Section 2(c)(1)).
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Data Security: The bill requires that the systems developed include robust data security protections to protect personal information (Section 2(c)(2)).
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Controlled Information Access: Access to the provided information is restricted to authorized emergency personnel and can only be used during an emergency (Section 2(c)(3)).
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Privacy of Physical Identification: The system ensures there is no requirement to display the emergency contact information on a physical driver's license or identification card (Section 2(c)(4)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill mandates robust data security protections and restricted access to personal information.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill emphasizes that information sharing is voluntary and requires strong security measures. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires an annual report to Congress on the program's implementation.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Access to emergency contacts can provide critical support for individuals with specific needs during an emergency.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport? — The bill relates to state identification and driver's license infrastructure.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this strengthen Social Security? — The bill helps ensure families can be notified during emergencies involving their loved ones.
- 11/18/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 11/17/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Introduced in House