FISA Accountability and Extension Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill extends the government's power to collect foreign intelligence for another eight years. It also changes the rules for the secret courts that oversee these programs to make them more transparent to lawmakers.
• Members of Congress and their staff would be allowed to watch secret court hearings in person. The bill stops the government from making special rules that keep lawmakers out and requires the courts to provide video or audio feeds if the room is too small for everyone to fit.
• The way the court gets outside legal advice would change. Instead of judges picking their own experts, leaders in the House and Senate would provide a list of at least 12 people for the judges to choose from, ensuring Congress has a say in who is advising the court on privacy and civil rights.
• It creates tougher penalties for officials who break the law or lie to the court when using these surveillance powers. It also makes it clear that government workers have the right to report problems or illegal activity directly to Congress without being punished.
• This policy aims to balance national security with privacy. By letting lawmakers see what happens in secret courtrooms and making it easier to sue for government mistakes, the bill tries to prevent the abuse of spying powers while keeping the programs running until 2034.