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US HB7738
Bill
Status
Introduced
2/26/2026
Primary Sponsor
Ted Lieu
Click for details
AI Summary
- Prohibits indefinite sealing of criminal surveillance orders, applications, and inventories; allows sealing for up to 180 days with government certification of adverse results, with extensions requiring increasingly particularized judicial review
- Requires government to eventually notify surveillance targets and provide copies of warrants/orders; notice can only be delayed while sealing orders remain in effect, with maximum 180-day delays for subpoenas
- Mandates public docketing of criminal surveillance case records as open government data, including case type, statutory authority, investigating agency, and seal expiration dates
- Requires courts to file annual reports on surveillance orders to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, which must publish aggregate statistics on pen registers, trap-and-trace devices, and stored communications orders
- Authorizes $26 million total: $25 million in grants to State and Tribal courts for implementation over 5 years, plus $1 million for federal court compliance; takes effect 2 years after enactment (4 years for certain State/Tribal courts)
Legislative Description
Government Surveillance Transparency Act of 2026
Crime and law enforcement
Last Action
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
2/26/2026
Committee Referrals
Judiciary2/26/2026
Full Bill Text
No bill text available