Bills · HR 8178
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 8178Armed Forces and National Security
Protecting Americans from Unauthorized Surveillance Act
This bill creates an oversight office to review and challenge government requests for secret surveillance and requires an independent legal expert to participate in all foreign intelligence court cases.AI-written
INTRO APR 2· LAST ACTION APR 2
READING
3MIN
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READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
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- Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-writtenCreates a permanent watchdog office to challenge secret surveillance requests and requires independent legal experts to review every case in the government's secret spy court to protect American privacy.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThe Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court operates in secret, which critics argue makes it easy for the government to overstep its bounds without anyone knowing. By creating a mandatory 'opponent' in these proceedings, the bill tries to ensure that the court hears both sides of the argument before approving a wiretap or search warrant. This is particularly relevant for protecting the privacy of U.S. persons, who have constitutional rights that can be at risk during intelligence investigations.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Establishes the FISA Oversight Office within the Department of Justice.
It creates a permanent, internal watchdog dedicated solely to questioning surveillance applications.
PROVISION 02
Requires the Oversight Office to challenge surveillance applications against U.S. persons if the evidence for 'probable cause' is not clearly met.
It shifts the default from passive approval to active legal questioning for applications involving Americans.
PROVISION 03
Mandates that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court appoint an 'amicus curiae' (independent legal expert) for every application.
This ensures that a non-government voice is present in every secret hearing to offer an outside perspective on privacy and law.
PROVISION 04
Requires the Department of Justice to provide the Oversight Office with all evidence related to investigations into U.S. persons.
The watchdog cannot be sidelined because the law forces the government to share all the facts.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 0
D· California
YRS IN OFFICE
11
BILLS LED
46
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSAPR 2
Introduced in House
APR 2
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 8178
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedApr 2, 2026
Last actionApr 2, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · INTELLIGENCE (PERMANENT SELECT) COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED APR 2, 2026
House BillHR 8178Armed Forces and National Security
Protecting Americans from Unauthorized Surveillance Act
This bill creates an oversight office to review and challenge government requests for secret surveillance and requires an independent legal expert to participate in all foreign intelligence court cases.AI-written
INTRODUCED APR 2, 2026· LAST ACTION APR 2, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
3 min
COSPONSORS
0
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
