HR6563-119

What This Bill Does

The Terrorist Watchlist Modification Review Act gives Congress recurring oversight of changes to federal watchlist policy. The FBI Director must notify the appropriate congressional committees within 30 days after any material change to a policy or procedure governing the terrorist watchlist or transnational organized crime watchlist, including changes to adding or removing people. Each notice must summarize the material changes. Within 30 days after a request from an appropriate committee, the FBI Director must provide all current guidance governing use of either watchlist. Separately, by January 31, 2026, and annually for two years, the FBI Director must report on known or presumed United States persons on the terrorist watchlist. The report must provide January 1 and December 31 totals, no-fly and selectee-list counts, exception-to-reasonable-suspicion counts, suspected terrorist-organization affiliations, and each federal agency that nominated United States persons with counts by agency. Appropriate committees include intelligence, appropriations, judiciary, homeland security, and homeland security and governmental affairs committees.

Who Benefits and How

Congressional intelligence, judiciary, appropriations, and homeland-security committees benefit from prompt notice of watchlist policy changes and access to governing guidance. United States persons on the terrorist watchlist benefit indirectly from oversight of nomination, removal, no-fly, selectee, and exception categories. Civil-liberties advocates benefit from aggregate reporting that reveals how many United States persons are affected. Federal agencies that nominate people to watchlists benefit from clearer accountability around nomination counts.

Who Bears the Burden and How

FBI watchlist policy staff must prepare change notices within 30 days, produce governing guidance on committee request, and compile annual reports for two years. Federal nominating agencies must be identifiable in the reports by nomination counts. Congressional committee staff must review sensitive watchlist notices and guidance. Watchlist program managers must track categories such as no-fly, selectee, and exception-to-reasonable-suspicion placements.

Key Provisions

• Requires FBI notice to Congress within 30 days after material terrorist-watchlist or organized-crime-watchlist policy changes.
• Requires FBI production of current watchlist guidance within 30 days after a committee request.
• Requires annual reports for two years on known or presumed United States persons on the terrorist watchlist.
• Requires reporting of no-fly, selectee, reasonable-suspicion-exception, terrorist-organization-affiliation, and nominating-agency counts.
• Defines the covered watchlists, United States person, and appropriate congressional committees.