Overview
- House Republican leaders released the bill text Thursday, proposing a three-year extension with new audits, internal reviews, and penalties but no warrant requirement for FBI searches of Americans' communications.
- The House Rules Committee plans a Monday markup, which could tee up a floor vote next week before the authority expires on April 30.
- Reps. Thomas Massie and Lauren Boebert introduced a competing Surveillance Accountability Act that would require warrants for digital data, cover AI-driven and biometric surveillance, and let people sue for Fourth Amendment violations.
- Section 702 lets agencies target foreigners overseas, yet it also sweeps up Americans’ messages, which the FBI can query without a warrant using names, emails, or phone numbers.
- Opposition from conservative Republicans and privacy advocates threatens passage, while Senate leaders have positioned a separate three-year extension that could be amended with privacy rules if the House stalls.