WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement on the introduction of language to reauthorize the critical national security tool, which allows the United States to gather intelligence on foreign targets outside the United States. The House Rules Committee currently plans to take up the revised FISA 702 reform and reauthorization language on Monday.
“In the current heightened threat environment, with U.S. military operations in Iran, the CCP looking to fill power vacuums around the world, and terrorist proxies plotting attacks on Americans and U.S. interests, Congress cannot take this critical national security tool away from President Trump. The 2024 Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA), passed by Congress, was the largest FBI and FISA reform in decades, with 56 reform mandates to address past abuses of the FISA 702 tool and gaps. Today’s 702 is a very different one from when Congress voted in 2024.
“With today’s legislative proposal, Congress is building on these reforms by making real enhancements to privacy protections for Americans, increasing accountability for abuses, and providing for a first-ever external review for the primary source of past abuses – the FBI.
“It’s been made abundantly clear that no option will be 100% perfect in the eyes of everyone, but this bill makes measurable reforms to strengthen accountability and safeguards, while maintaining the criticality of the national security tool. At this point in the debate, many in Congress understand the significant advantage 702 provides U.S. national security, and the fervent need to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. We should not sacrifice one for the other, and this revised legislation strikes that balance.”
The revised 702 reauthorization legislative proposal:
- Clearly prohibits U.S. Government personnel from intentionally targeting a U.S. person for collection under FISA Section 702.
- Establishes a new requirement for the FBI to provide all its 702 U.S. person justifications to the ODNI Civil Liberties Protection Officer for review on a rolling basis every month.
- Amends current law, expanding criminal penalties for abuses of FISA Section 702 to include FBI personnel knowingly and willfully violating the FISC-approved querying procedures or falsifying or misrepresenting compliance with such querying procedures.
- Requires GAO to conduct an audit of targeting procedures and implementation under Section 702 and to report findings to the congressional intelligence and judiciary committees within one year of enactment.
- Directs the Attorney General to issue new procedures regarding access of Members of Congress and staff to FISC hearings.
- Requires an FBI employee to get approval to conduct a U.S. person query from an FBI attorney, no longer allowing approval to come from just a supervisor.
Read the legislative text here.
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