A bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to improve transparency, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- S. 4740
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-10: Read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-22T22:46:28Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to increase public and congressional access to information about surveillance activities, court decisions, and compliance issues, while also providing a short-term extension of certain surveillance authorities.
Key Provisions
- Section 1: Requires the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Attorney General, to publicly release a specific Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court opinion from March 17, 2026, related to Section 702, with necessary redactions for sources and methods, within 14 days of enactment.
- Section 2: Amends Section 702(f)(3) to mandate annual reports to Congress on the number of requests for sensitive queries, approvals and denials, and conducted queries, broken down by category.
- Section 3: Revises Section 602 to require declassification reviews and public release (to the greatest extent practicable) of FISA Court or Court of Review decisions, orders, or opinions that involve significant legal interpretations, sensitive investigative matters (such as those involving public officials, political candidates, religious or political organizations, or news media), or those nominated by an amicus curiae, with a 180-day deadline after issuance.
- Section 4: Amends Section 511 of the National Security Act of 1947 to require public posting of reports on violations of law or executive order (with redactions), including retroactive publication within 180 days, and directs the Attorney General to submit a version focused on FISA violations to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.
- Section 5: Updates Section 603(b) to require annual good-faith estimates of United States person search terms and queries used to retrieve information under Executive Order 12333 outside of FISA.
- Section 6: Extends the repeal date for Title VII of FISA (Section 702 authorities) from June 12, 2026, to July 17, 2026, effective on the earlier of enactment or June 11, 2026.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Broadens mandatory declassification and public release of FISA court opinions beyond prior limits, including new categories like sensitive investigative matters and amicus-nominated cases.
- Introduces new annual reporting requirements on sensitive queries and non-FISA United States person queries under Executive Order 12333.
- Mandates public availability of violation reports that were previously limited to Congress.
- Provides a five-week extension of Section 702 surveillance authorities.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Director of National Intelligence, Attorney General, and intelligence community elements must conduct additional reviews, prepare reports, and meet strict timelines for releases, potentially increasing administrative workload.
- Citizens: Greater public access to court opinions, violation reports, and query data may enhance oversight and awareness of surveillance practices.
- International relations: Limited direct effects, though increased transparency on Section 702 could indirectly influence foreign perceptions of United States intelligence activities.
- Courts: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and Court of Review face expanded declassification obligations for a wider range of decisions.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Director of National Intelligence and Attorney General (primary implementers of releases and reports).
- Intelligence community agencies (subject to new query reporting).
- Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and Court of Review (affected by declassification rules).
- Congressional committees (recipients of new reports).
- United States persons and the general public (beneficiaries of increased transparency).
- Amicus curiae and parties involved in sensitive investigations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Strengthens requirements for public disclosure of judicial interpretations of surveillance law, potentially affecting how courts handle sensitive matters.
- Introduces new oversight mechanisms for queries involving United States persons without altering core FISA authorities.
- Balances national security protections (via redactions) with expanded transparency mandates.
- The short-term extension maintains existing surveillance capabilities during the transition to new reporting rules.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-10: Read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence.
- 2026-06-10: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to improve transparency, and for other purposes. — issued 2026-06-10 — PDF (8 pages)