Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026
Latest action (12 Mar 2026): Introduced
What this bill does
H.R. 7901, the Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026, would reauthorize and revise Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows collection of foreign communications, while adding new limits on how government officials may search that data for information about "covered persons"—U.S. citizens and people located in the U.S. It would generally require a warrant, court order, emergency justification, consent, or a defensive-cybersecurity purpose before officials could access such communications, and would require detailed recordkeeping of queries. The bill also extends Section 702 for four years, restricts use of Section 702 information in legal proceedings, bars "reverse targeting," sets data retention limits, and adds FISA Court oversight of technical-assistance demands to communications providers. Additional titles address broader FISA oversight and accountability, bar federal law enforcement from buying personal data from data brokers, extend warrant requirements to location data, browsing history, and other electronic records under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, protect vehicle data from warrantless federal searches, and expand transparency and reporting requirements on surveillance activities.
The bill would primarily affect federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies that use FISA authorities, electronic communications and data-broker companies subject to new disclosure rules, and members of the public whose communications, location, or other digital records could be collected or queried—particularly U.S. persons and those located in the U.S.
The bill was introduced March 12, 2026, by Rep. Warren Davidson with bipartisan co-sponsors, and referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It has not yet received a committee vote, floor vote, or further action.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
This bill is in the first stage of the legislative process. It was introduced into Congress on March 12, 2026. It will typically be considered by committee next before it is possibly sent on to the House or Senate as a whole.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 7901 do?
- H.R. 7901, the Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026, would reauthorize and revise Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows collection of foreign communications, while adding new limits on how government officials may search that data for information about "covered persons"—U.S. citizens and people located in the U.S. It would generally require a warrant, court order, emergency justification, consent, or a defensive-cybersecurity purpose before officials could access such communications, and would require detailed recordkeeping of queries. The bill also extends Section 702 for four years, restricts use of Section 702 information in legal proceedings, bars "reverse targeting," sets data retention limits, and adds FISA Court oversight of technical-assistance demands to communications providers. Additional titles address broader FISA oversight and accountability, bar federal law enforcement from buying personal data from data brokers, extend warrant requirements to location data, browsing history, and other electronic records under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, protect vehicle data from warrantless federal searches, and expand transparency and reporting requirements on surveillance activities. The bill would primarily affect federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies that use FISA authorities, electronic communications and data-broker companies subject to new disclosure rules, and members of the public whose communications, location, or other digital records could be collected or queried—particularly U.S. persons and those located in the U.S. The bill was introduced March 12, 2026, by Rep. Warren Davidson with bipartisan co-sponsors, and referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It has not yet received a committee vote, floor vote, or further action.
- Has H.R. 7901 become law?
- Not yet. As of 12 Mar 2026, H.R. 7901 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 7901?
- H.R. 7901 was sponsored by Rep. Warren Davidson [R-OH8] (Republican-OH), with 5 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 7901?
- Introduced (12 Mar 2026).
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