Sponsors (2)
Requires the Secret Service to record agent communications during protective deployments, imposes retention rules, and gives specified congressional committees access after an incident.
The bill increases congressional oversight and investigative capacity by recording and retaining Secret Service communications to improve accountability and protective practices, while creating privacy concerns for employees, added taxpayer costs, and risks from broader access to sensitive operational records.
Congressional oversight committees will be able to access and retain Secret Service recordings after an attempted or actual attack, improving the ability to review protective failures and hold agencies accountable.
Recorded communications from incidents can be used by investigators and the Secret Service to identify causes of protective lapses, improve procedures, and enhance safety for people entitled to protection.
Broad access by multiple congressional committees to sensitive operational recordings increases the risk that sources, methods, or protected persons' privacy could be exposed or politically misused, potentially endangering national security and individuals.
Recording workplace communications will reduce privacy for Secret Service and other federal employees and may chill candid operational discussion, potentially harming morale and effectiveness.
Collecting and storing large volumes of recordings will raise costs for the Secret Service and taxpayers for data storage, management, and compliance with retention and access requests.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the U.S. Secret Service to record all communications among agents while protecting covered persons, create a default deletion schedule, and preserve recordings when certain congressional committees request them or when there is an attempt or actual harm to a protected person. Recordings must be deleted no sooner than 90 days after creation unless retained; congressional committees are given access to recordings after an attempted or actual harm to the protected person. Sets minimum retention rules (at least 18 months when requested by specified committees) and specifies which House and Senate committees may request retention or obtain recordings following an incident involving the protected person.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to require the recording of communications between Secret Service agents deployed for protection of certain persons.
Introduced July 14, 2025 by Stephanie I. Bice · Last progress July 14, 2025