Sponsors
The bill strengthens congressional oversight, legal clarity, and operational continuity for intelligence and providers, but it narrows individual legal remedies, extends surveillance authority periods, and raises risks of classified disclosure and politicization of FISA court advisers.
Members of Congress and designated staff gain fuller access to observe FISC/FISCR proceedings, increasing legislative oversight of surveillance programs.
Telecom, cloud, and other providers face reduced legal risk because complying with FISA court orders or emergency assistance requests is shielded from civil lawsuits.
Federal intelligence agencies get longer statutory authorization continuity, reducing near-term reauthorization uncertainty and administrative churn for ongoing surveillance programs.
People whose communications were collected may lose the ability to sue providers when those providers complied with FISA orders, reducing individual remedies for privacy violations.
Expanding congressional access to sensitive FISC/FISCR proceedings increases the risk that classified information could be disclosed or mishandled.
Lengthening the statutory authorization window extends the period during which expanded surveillance authorities can be used and reduces the frequency of congressional oversight opportunities.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Guarantees congressional access to FISA court proceedings, reclassifies Section 702 data as Title I for legal purposes, limits provider liability for compliance, preserves whistleblower rights, and extends certain FISA authorities to 8 years.
Introduced January 27, 2026 by Charles Ernest Grassley · Last progress January 27, 2026
Requires FISC and FISCR to let Members of Congress and designated staff observe full proceedings, voids prior Attorney General procedures that restricted such attendance, and mandates equal treatment for the Department of Justice. Reclassifies information collected under Section 702 as if acquired under Title I for criminal and civil purposes, narrows some civil liability for companies that comply with court orders or emergency assistance requests, and sets a five‑year statute of limitations measured from actual notice for civil actions. Changes how amici curiae for the FISA courts are chosen by requiring Senate and House leaders to each submit lists for judge consideration, preserves statutory whistleblower disclosure rights to Congress, and lengthens certain time‑limited FISA Amendments Act authorities from two years to eight years.