This bill, the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act of 2026, would change how the United States Government collects and uses certain digital information. Major changes in Title I amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). They would bar most warrantless "queries" of information acquired under FISA to find the contents of communications or other information about United States persons, with narrow exceptions (court authorization or warrant, consent, emergencies, and limited cybersecurity queries). The bill would require reporting to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) and Congress about some exceptions, and would bar using results of metadata-only queries as a basis to access communications. It also adds limits on certain directives to some electronic communication service providers, requires declassification review of the types of providers and services at issue in certain FISC opinions, and gives the FISC more notice and review authority. The bill expands the use and access of amici curiae (outside experts) in FISC proceedings and lets those amici seek review of questions of law. It extends certain FISA Title VII authorities until April 20, 2028.
Title II, called the "Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act," would add new protections for records held by data brokers. It would generally bar law enforcement agencies and intelligence elements from obtaining, from third parties, covered customer or subscriber records or information that was illegitimately obtained in exchange for anything of value. It would require that courts apply the same standards to orders for third-party disclosures as would apply when ordering records from a provider of electronic communications or remote computing services. The bill defines "intermediary service providers" and "online service providers," restricts voluntary disclosures by such providers, and requires the Attorney General to adopt minimization procedures for information obtained in violation of the new rules. The bill also makes FISA the exclusive means for certain foreign-intelligence acquisitions inside the United States involving United States persons, location information, web browsing history, and internet search history. Finally, it narrows civil immunity for providers who give information or assistance to the government without a court order in emergency situations.
If enacted, the bill would: limit most warrantless searches of communications and related data about United States persons under FISA; increase reporting and court review when the government uses narrow exceptions; restrict government purchases or paid access to certain data from third parties (data brokers); require courts to apply strong standards before forcing third parties to disclose covered customer records; and expand independent expert participation in FISA court cases. The bill does not include specific implementation details or timelines beyond some effective and sunset dates in the text.
No publicly available information.
The bill text and short title indicate it is meant to implement reforms to FISA, to prevent law enforcement and intelligence agencies from obtaining certain commercially available information, and to increase oversight, transparency, and protections for records held by data brokers. Sponsors introduced the bill to limit warrantless queries, require more judicial or authorized processes, and expand FISC and congressional review.
No publicly available information.