hold on there's just too much going on in Congress lmao...
Extends government surveillance powers (Section 702 FISA) for 18 months.
Senators Grassley (R-IA), Cotton (R-AR)
Introduced in Senate, no vote yet
This bill, introduced by Senators Grassley and Cotton, proposes to extend the authority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for an additional 18 months, pushing its expiration date to October 20, 2027. This section permits the government to conduct surveillance without a warrant on non-U.S. persons located outside the U.S. for foreign intelligence purposes. It has been referred to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Introduced Apr 16, 2026
The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 16, 2026, and referred to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. For it to become law, it must first be approved by this committee, then passed by the full Senate. After that, it would need to pass the House of Representatives and finally be signed by the President.
If this bill passes, the government's current authority to collect foreign intelligence under Section 702 of FISA would continue without interruption until October 20, 2027. This means that existing surveillance programs targeting non-U.S. persons abroad, which can incidentally collect information on Americans, would remain in place for an extended period. For you, this means the current balance between national security surveillance and individual privacy, as defined by Section 702, would not change in the near future.
Supporters Say
Supporters argue extending Section 702 is vital for national security to gather intelligence on foreign adversaries.
Critics Say
Critics argue Section 702 needs reform due to concerns about potential privacy abuses and collection of American citizens' data.
Supporters of Section 702, including intelligence agencies, emphasize its critical role in preventing terrorist attacks and countering foreign espionage by allowing surveillance of foreign targets. However, critics, including some civil liberties advocates, argue that the authority has been misused to search data belonging to U.S. citizens without a warrant, and call for more robust privacy safeguards before any extension.