To amend the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to extend the authorities of title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 10, 2026 · Last action June 11, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill extends the expiration date of Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by three weeks, from June 12, 2026 to July 2, 2026. Title VII allows the federal government to conduct surveillance on foreign intelligence targets without a warrant if they are reasonably believed to be outside the United States. The extension gives Congress additional time to debate whether to renew, modify, or let this surveillance authority expire.
Who benefits
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), and other federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies that conduct foreign surveillance operations under Title VII authority. These agencies gain a three-week extension to continue conducting surveillance without seeking individual warrants on foreign targets reasonably believed to be outside the United States.
Who pays / loses
Foreign individuals reasonably believed to be outside the United States who communicate with U.S. persons or have communications transiting U.S. infrastructure face continued warrantless surveillance by federal agencies during the extension period. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents whose communications are incidentally collected during surveillance of foreign targets also face continued warrantless collection without individual warrant approval.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
The bill does not require appropriations and involves no new federal spending. The sponsor, Rep. Eric Crawford (R-AR), received no PAC contributions in 2024 and his top campaign contributions came from 'Other' sources ($194,540), followed by agriculture ($12,550) and healthcare ($10,050). The financial interest in this bill's passage comes from federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies seeking to preserve their existing surveillance authorities without interruption, rather than from private industries or campaign donors.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Federal intelligence agencies (FBI, CIA, NSA) and their personnel who conduct foreign surveillance operations. Foreign nationals reasonably believed to be outside the U.S. who communicate internationally. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents whose communications may be incidentally collected during surveillance of foreign targets. Congress members who must decide the long-term future of Title VII authority within the three-week extension window.
Political Subtext
Proponents of extension argue that a brief delay prevents a gap in foreign surveillance authority that could compromise national security investigations. Critics argue that Title VII enables mass surveillance of Americans' international communications with minimal oversight, lacks adequate transparency, and has been used to surveil journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens. The non-partisan Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and civil rights organizations including the ACLU have documented that incidental collection of U.S. persons' communications under Title VII occurs at scale, but the bill does not impose new privacy protections or oversight mechanisms—it simply preserves the status quo. The three-week extension is procedurally routine and reflects congressional inability to reach consensus on surveillance reform before the deadline.
Real-World Stakes
If the bill passes, warrantless surveillance under Title VII continues for three additional weeks. If it fails and Title VII expires on June 12, 2026, federal agencies would lose their legal authority to conduct bulk surveillance of foreign targets, though existing investigations could continue under other statutory authorities (criminal wiretap law, National Security Letters, FISA Title I warrant procedures). Historically, prior Title VII expirations (2008, 2012, 2017, 2023) prompted Congress to pass temporary extensions or full reauthorizations; the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act and other short-term extensions show Congress's pattern of 'deadline governance' on surveillance. The 2013 Snowden disclosures revealed that Title VII surveillance collected over 250 million email and messaging communications in a single year, many involving U.S. persons. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board concluded in 2014 that Title VII's minimization procedures were inadequate to protect U.S. persons' privacy.
Sponsor
Vote Record
Failed: 198–218R 191–19 · D 7–199
| Name | Party | State / District | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] | D | NC-12 | Nay |
| Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4] | R | AL-4 | Yea |
| Rep. Aguilar, Pete [D-CA-33] | D | CA-33 | Nay |
| Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4] | R | MO-4 | Yea |
| Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] | R | GA-12 | Yea |
| Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1] | D | RI-1 | Nay |
| Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2] | R | NV-2 | Yea |
| Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] | D | AZ-3 | Nay |
| Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19] | R | TX-19 | Yea |
| Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4] |
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
Top contributing industries
Other$194,540
Agriculture$12,550
Healthcare$10,050
Finance$7,800
Construction$4,000
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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