Government Surveillance Transparency Act of 2026

This bill would limit how long courts can keep criminal surveillance orders, such as wiretap orders and search warrants, sealed from the public. Sealing would generally end when surveillance ends, with 180-day extensions allowed when the government shows reasons such as danger to a person or risk of evidence being destroyed; extensions after the first would need a more detailed showing. The bill would require the government to notify people whose communications or records are obtained, unless a court delays that notice. Courts would publish docket information about surveillance cases online, judges would report data on these orders each year, and anyone could ask a court to unseal surveillance records. The bill would also authorize up to $25 million in grants to help state and tribal courts carry out these rules.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Ron Wyden Democrat sponsor
• 3 cosponsors