Sponsors (6)
Introduced January 15, 2026 by Christopher A. Coons · Last progress January 15, 2026
The bill strengthens law enforcement's ability to conduct undercover or sensitive investigations by expanding and structuring nondisclosure authority while adding some judicial oversight and reporting—at the cost of extended secrecy that can delay notice to targets, risk reduced scrutiny in certain sensitive cases, and impose burdens on providers.
Victims, potential crime victims, and local communities: law enforcement can delay or withhold notice to targets/providers so investigations are not compromised, increasing the likelihood evidence is preserved and prosecutions succeed.
Americans (including taxpayers) and defendants: courts must make written findings and narrowly tailor nondisclosure orders, adding judicial oversight and procedural safeguards that limit overly broad secrecy.
Technology companies and their employees: providers may challenge or seek modification of nondisclosure orders and may make limited disclosures (e.g., to attorneys), preserving provider legal rights and some operational flexibility.
Targets of government data requests, including immigrants and ordinary users: people may remain unaware for months (and in some cases up to a year under expansion/extension rules) that their communications or records were accessed, delaying their ability to challenge searches or seek legal recourse.
People involved in sensitive prosecutions and the public interest (including alleged victims and defendants): permitting nondisclosure without written judicial findings in presumptive child-exploitation cases reduces judicial scrutiny and may prolong secrecy in highly sensitive matters.
Journalists, confidential sources, and the public's right to know: broad nondisclosure authority could be applied in ways that chill speech and press freedoms if media-related accounts are subject to prolonged secrecy.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a court process for time-limited nondisclosure orders to keep providers from notifying others about warrants/subpoenas, with written judicial findings and duration limits.
Allows a government investigator to ask a court to order an internet or remote computing service provider not to tell anyone about a warrant, subpoena, or similar process. The bill requires the court to make written findings showing specific facts that justify secrecy, limits how long nondisclosure orders can last (up to 1 year for child sexual offenses and up to 90 days for other investigations), and requires the applicant to state whether the customer likely knows about or is suspected in the investigation.