Sponsors (6)
The bill strengthens protection of intelligence community sites by creating new criminal penalties to deter trespass and breaches, but does so at the cost of heightened civil liberties risks, potential overcriminalization of accidental entrants, and higher enforcement costs for taxpayers.
Federal employees and people who work at or use intelligence community facilities gain stronger protection from unauthorized entrants and trespassers through clearer restricted-area rules and enforcement.
Taxpayers and federal personnel benefit from new criminal penalties (fines and escalating prison terms) that create deterrence against breaches and may reduce theft or exposure of sensitive information.
Protesters, journalists, and members of the public near marked intelligence sites could face criminal exposure or self-censoring, raising significant civil liberties and free‑expression concerns.
Visitors, contractors, or travelers who accidentally enter restricted IC property risk criminal charges—including possible jail time for repeat mistakes—creating a risk of overcriminalization for innocent errors.
Taxpayers may face higher costs from increased prosecutions and incarceration tied to enforcing the new offenses.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal crime with tiered prison terms for unauthorized access to clearly marked intelligence community property within U.S. jurisdiction.
Official title: To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to provide penalties for unauthorized access to intelligence community property, and for other purposes.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Ronny Jackson · Last progress November 20, 2025
Creates a new federal crime for knowingly entering or accessing property controlled by an intelligence community element that is clearly marked as closed or restricted within U.S. jurisdiction. The bill sets tiered criminal penalties: up to 180 days (first offense), up to 3 years (second offense), and up to 10 years (third or subsequent offense), with fines set under Title 18, and inserts the new provision into the National Security Act of 1947. The law applies where the property is under an intelligence community element’s jurisdiction and clearly marked as closed or restricted; it does not itself create funding, administrative programs, or deadlines beyond the criminal penalties and a clerical table-of-contents insertion.