What does Preamble of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This bill aims to implement reforms related to foreign intelligence surveillance authorities The bill was introduced to the House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

What does DEFINITIONS. of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. It adds definitions for terms such as `Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court', `Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review', and `covered person'. Conforming amendments are made to various sections of the Act to reflect the new definitions.

What does PROTECTIONS RELATED TO WARRANTLESS QUERIES FOR THE of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 702(f) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. It defines new terms including 'covered information,' 'covered query,' and 'covered person.' It generally prohibits Federal officers and employees from accessing covered information returned in response to a covered query. Exceptions to this prohibition exist for situations involving concurrent authorization, consent, emergency situations, and certain defensive cybersecurity queries. If covered information is accessed under an emergency authorization and the subsequent application is denied, that information cannot be used in legal proceedings. Queries must be reasonably likely to retrieve foreign intelligence information and have a significant foreign intelligence purpose. Agencies must maintain records documenting queries and accesses, including justification and identifiers. Federal agencies are required to submit a report to Congress within 90 days of enactment detailing compliance with the query record system requirement.

What does LIMITATION ON USE OF INFORMATION OBTAINED UNDER SECTION 702 of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends paragraph (2) of section 706(a) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The heading of the paragraph is modified, striking 'United states persons' and inserting 'Covered persons'. Within subparagraph (A), 'United States person' is replaced with 'covered person' in two instances. The phrase 'in any criminal proceeding' is changed to 'in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding'. In clause (ii), 'the criminal proceeding' is replaced with 'the proceeding' in two instances.

What does PROHIBITION ON REVERSE TARGETING OF UNITED STATES PERSONS AND of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 It prohibits intentionally targeting a person outside the US to acquire information of US persons Exceptions include emergencies involving imminent threat of death or serious harm, or consent from covered persons

What does DATA RETENTION LIMITS FOR INFORMATION COLLECTED UNDER SECTION of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 by adding Section 710 regarding data retention limits. The Attorney General is tasked with developing procedures, and intelligence community heads must implement them, to govern the retention of information collected under Section 702. “Covered information” includes information pertaining to a covered person that has not been evaluated and is not known to contain foreign intelligence information, as well as unevaluated information that does not contain information pertaining to or communication from a covered person. Covered information generally must be destroyed within 5 years of collection. Exceptions to the 5-year destruction requirement exist if the information is subject to a preservation obligation in pending litigation or is being used in a proceeding or investigation consistent with section 706(a).

What does FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE COURT SUPERVISION OF of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 702(i)(1) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 It adds limitations on directing technical assistance from electronic communication service providers The assistance must be necessary, narrowly tailored, and not pose an undue burden

What does PROHIBITION ON WARRANTLESS ACQUISITION OF DOMESTIC of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The amendments modify subsections (b)(4), (d)(1)(B), (h)(2)(A)(i)(II), and (j)(2)(B)(ii). The changes replace the phrase 'known at the time of the acquisition' with 'known or believed at the time of acquisition or communication'.

What does REQUIREMENT OF PRIMARY FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE PURPOSE. of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 It modifies Section 702(h)(2)(A)(v) regarding foreign intelligence purpose

What does REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON SENSITIVE QUERIES. of Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 702(f)(3)(D) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The Attorney General is required to submit an annual report to Congress. The report must include the number of 'sensitive queries' made each year. The queries will be disaggregated by the subclause of clause (ii) under which they were approved.

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Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026

Last updated: 3/12/2026 · Introduced: 3/12/2026

Author: Warren Davidson (R-OH)

TL;DR (AI)

The bill amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to enhance protections against warrantless queries and restrict access to covered information.
It prohibits the intentional targeting of individuals outside the U.S. to gather information about U.S. persons, with limited exceptions for emergencies.
The legislation establishes a five-year limit on retaining covered information, with specific exceptions for ongoing litigation or investigations.
Federal law enforcement agencies are barred from acquiring personal data from certain organizations in exchange for anything of value, with transparency requirements for data obtained using federal funds.
The bill mandates annual reporting to Congress on sensitive queries and compliance with query record systems by federal agencies.
It introduces new accountability procedures for federal employees regarding violations of surveillance laws, including potential termination for serious offenses.
The legislation enhances oversight by requiring audits of FISA applications and establishing clearer jurisdictional authority for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

119th Congressin committeeS. 4082(In Committee)Official page

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