Rep. Higgins Introduces Bill to Require Warrants for FBI Surveillance and Ban Digital Dollars
This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and was sent to the House Judiciary, Intelligence, and Financial Services committees on June 2, 2026. These committees must review the bill before it can move forward, but no further action has occurred since that date. It is common for bills to remain in committee without receiving a vote.
FISA extensions are always high-stakes and controversial. While there is bipartisan interest in privacy reforms, the addition of a digital currency ban may complicate its path to becoming law.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Intelligence community and FBI employees face significantly tougher criminal penalties for mishandling surveillance data about Americans. Unauthorized disclosure of classified communications involving a U.S. person could bring up to 8 years in prison, and unauthorized queries or lying to the FISA court could mean up to 2 years. FBI agents would also lose the option of getting supervisor-only approval for queries about Americans and would need attorney sign-off instead.
“A person guilty of an offense in subsection (a)(2) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.”
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), and Financial Services, 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.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

The emerging deal to extend Section 702 for three years includes a ban on a central bank digital currency and language barring the FBI from using collected information to prosecute U.S. persons. However, the appointment of Bill Pulte as acting DNI has put the bipartisan agreement in jeopardy.

Sens. Tom Cotton and Chuck Grassley have urged the State Department to prepare for a significant gap in intelligence collection as Senate Democrats block the extension of Section 702. The bill would extend the authority until 2029 and includes new penalties for intelligence abuses.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
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.
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