Sponsors
The bill trades extended continuity for foreign‑intelligence operations and clearer rules for providers (and increased congressional access) against meaningful reductions in privacy protections, fewer remedies for surveilled individuals, and less frequent legislative checkpoints to reassess surveillance authorities.
Intelligence operations stay continuous: extends key foreign‑surveillance authorities for additional years, reducing the need for frequent reauthorizations and lowering short‑term administrative workload for agencies and Congress.
Strengthens congressional oversight and practical access to secret courts: Members and designated staff can observe FISC/FISCR proceedings (with parity protections and requirements for courts to maximize space/provide AV feeds), a new bipartisan process for submitting FISA amicus candidate lists is required, and whistleblower disclosures to committees remain protected.
Clarifies the legal regime around Section 702: treats §702 acquisitions like Title I electronic surveillance for civil claims, establishes a five‑year statute of limitations measured from actual notice, and shields providers who comply with court orders or emergency FISA requests from related lawsuits—reducing litigation risk and doctrinal uncertainty for service providers and courts.
Expands risks to privacy and civil liberties: reclassifying §702 data as Title I and extending surveillance authorities increases the scope and duration of government surveillance, raising the chance of expanded criminal exposure and chilling effects on journalists, advocates, and other civilians.
Reduces near‑term legislative oversight and public transparency: longer statutory terms and collapsing distinctions between collection types make it harder for Congress and the public to promptly reassess or curb problematic authorities.
Limits victims' ability to obtain remedies: provider immunity for disclosures under orders/emergencies combined with a five‑year statute of limitations measured from 'actual notice' can bar lawsuits and narrow paths to redress for people whose communications were intercepted without their knowledge.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 27, 2026 by Charles Ernest Grassley · Last progress January 27, 2026
Expands congressional access to proceedings of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) and its Court of Review, redesigns how court-appointed amici are selected, treats information collected under Section 702 the same as Title I electronic surveillance for certain criminal penalties and civil remedies, narrows civil liability for providers who comply with court orders or emergency requests, preserves whistleblower rights to disclose to congressional committees, and lengthens two statutory time periods in the FISA Amendments Act from two years to eight years. It also voids prior Attorney General/DNI procedures on congressional attendance and sets a 90-day deadline for congressional submission of amicus candidate lists.