Government Surveillance Transparency Act of 2026

This bill sets new rules for court orders and warrants used in criminal investigations to obtain phone records, electronic communications, location tracking, and searches. Courts could keep these orders sealed for no more than 180 days after surveillance ends, with extensions possible only if the government shows specific reasons, and anyone could ask a court to unseal them. Courts would post basic public docket information about each order online, and the government would generally have to notify people whose records or communications it obtains. The bill also requires yearly public reports on these orders and authorizes $25 million in grants to state and tribal courts to carry out the changes.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Ted Lieu Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors