Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2026
Latest action (12 Mar 2026): Introduced
What this bill does
This bill, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden and co-sponsors on March 12, 2026, would revise several federal surveillance laws, primarily focusing on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows warrantless collection of foreign communications that sometimes include Americans' data. It would restrict when government officials can search that data for information about "covered persons" (U.S. persons or people located in the U.S.), generally requiring a warrant, court order, emergency justification, consent, or a cybersecurity purpose before accessing such results. It also sets documentation and recordkeeping requirements for these searches, limits use of improperly accessed information in legal proceedings, and would extend Section 702 authority for four years while narrowing other definitions and query rules.
Beyond Section 702, the bill addresses other FISA-related processes (such as court oversight, declassification of significant court opinions, and accuracy procedures), bars federal law enforcement from buying personal data from data brokers, updates 1986-era electronic communications privacy protections (covering location data, browsing history, email, and app-based records), and adds protections for vehicle data against warrantless federal searches. It also creates new reporting and inspector-general oversight requirements. These provisions would affect intelligence agencies, law enforcement, communications and technology companies, data brokers, and, indirectly, members of the public whose data may be collected or requested.
The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It has not yet received a committee vote, floor vote, or further congressional 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 S. 4082 do?
- This bill, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden and co-sponsors on March 12, 2026, would revise several federal surveillance laws, primarily focusing on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows warrantless collection of foreign communications that sometimes include Americans' data. It would restrict when government officials can search that data for information about "covered persons" (U.S. persons or people located in the U.S.), generally requiring a warrant, court order, emergency justification, consent, or a cybersecurity purpose before accessing such results. It also sets documentation and recordkeeping requirements for these searches, limits use of improperly accessed information in legal proceedings, and would extend Section 702 authority for four years while narrowing other definitions and query rules. Beyond Section 702, the bill addresses other FISA-related processes (such as court oversight, declassification of significant court opinions, and accuracy procedures), bars federal law enforcement from buying personal data from data brokers, updates 1986-era electronic communications privacy protections (covering location data, browsing history, email, and app-based records), and adds protections for vehicle data against warrantless federal searches. It also creates new reporting and inspector-general oversight requirements. These provisions would affect intelligence agencies, law enforcement, communications and technology companies, data brokers, and, indirectly, members of the public whose data may be collected or requested. The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It has not yet received a committee vote, floor vote, or further congressional action.
- Has S. 4082 become law?
- Not yet. As of 12 Mar 2026, S. 4082 is introduced.
- Who sponsored S. 4082?
- S. 4082 was sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR] (Democrat-OR), with 3 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 4082?
- Introduced (12 Mar 2026).
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