To implement reforms relating to foreign intelligence surveillance authorities, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023 overhauls foreign intelligence surveillance law by requiring warrants for queries of US persons' communications, imposing data retention limits, strengthening court oversight, and extending privacy protections to electronic communications, location data, and vehicle data. It also extends Section 702 of FISA for four years until September 30, 2027.
Who Benefits and How
US citizens and residents gain stronger privacy protections: intelligence agencies must obtain warrants before querying their communications, collected data must be destroyed within 5 years, and there are new safeguards against reverse targeting. Tech companies benefit from clearer rules on technical assistance demands and reduced compliance burden when resisting overly broad requests.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Intelligence agencies (NSA, FBI, CIA) face new warrant requirements and documentation obligations that add procedural steps to surveillance activities. The Department of Justice must implement new accuracy certification procedures and reporting requirements. Law enforcement agencies lose the ability to purchase personal data from data brokers without warrants.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits warrantless queries of US persons' communications under Section 702
- Requires data collected on US persons be destroyed within 5 years
- Extends Section 702 authority for 4 years (until September 2027)
- Requires warrants for location data, web browsing history, and vehicle data
- Prohibits law enforcement from purchasing data from data brokers without warrants
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Reforms government surveillance authorities under FISA and related laws to strengthen privacy protections for US persons while extending Section 702 for four years
Key Policy Areas
National Security, Civil Liberties, Privacy, Law Enforcement, Technology
Primary Purpose
Reforms government surveillance authorities under FISA and related laws to strengthen privacy protections for US persons while extending Section 702 for four years
Policy Domains
Title I - Reforms to Section 702 of FISA
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- US citizens and residents
- Privacy advocates
- Electronic communication service providers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Intelligence agencies (NSA, FBI, CIA)
- Department of Justice
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title V - Electronic Communications Privacy
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- US citizens and residents
- Email service users
- Privacy advocates
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Law enforcement agencies
- Data brokers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title II - Court Supervision and Accountability
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- FISA Court
- Civil liberties organizations
- Defense attorneys
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Department of Justice
- FBI
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title IV - Inspector General Oversight
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
- Congressional oversight committees
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Intelligence agency Inspectors General
- Department of Justice
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title IX - General Provisions
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Attorney General
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title VI - Cell Site Simulators
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- US citizens and residents
- Criminal defendants
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Law enforcement agencies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title III - Intelligence Community Surveillance
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- US citizens and residents
- Privacy advocates
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Intelligence community agencies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title VII - Vehicle Data Protection
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Vehicle owners
- Privacy advocates
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Law enforcement agencies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title VIII - Reporting Requirements
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Congressional oversight committees
- Public
- Privacy advocates
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Director of National Intelligence
- Administrative Office of US Courts
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Lee, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Lummis, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Administrative Office of US Courts, Attorney General, Attorney General and DOJ National Security Division
Department of Justice, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board face effects in multiple directions
Positive-direction: Congressional intelligence and judiciary committees, Congressional oversight committees, Intelligence community agencies subject to new requirements, Intelligence community employees
Negative-direction: Administrative Office of US Courts, Attorney General, Attorney General and DOJ National Security Division, CIA, Criminal prosecutors, DOJ Inspector General, Director of National Intelligence, FBI, FBI and intelligence agencies using emergency authorities, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal agencies receiving voluntary disclosures from service providers, Federal and state judges issuing surveillance orders, Federal government, Federal judges issuing pen register and trap and trace orders, Federal law enforcement agencies, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, Government agencies seeking data from non-ISP data holders, HIDTA surveillance programs, Intelligence agencies, Intelligence agencies (NSA, FBI, CIA), Intelligence agency employees, Intelligence community Inspectors General, Intelligence community agencies, Intelligence community agencies conducting Section 702 collection, Intelligence community elements conducting surveillance, Law enforcement agencies purchasing surveillance data, Law enforcement agencies seeking digital surveillance data, Law enforcement agencies seeking stored communications, Law enforcement agencies seeking vehicle data, Law enforcement agencies using cell-site simulator technology, Law enforcement and investigative officers, NSA, National Security Agency, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies
Civil rights plaintiffs, Communications service users whose data may be voluntarily disclosed, Criminal defendants
Civil liberties advocacy organizations, Civil liberties advocates seeking prompt reform implementation, Civil liberties organizations and public oversight groups
Positive-direction: Civil liberties advocacy organizations, Civil liberties organizations and public oversight groups, Civil liberties organizations monitoring surveillance programs, Civil rights and religious freedom organizations, Privacy advocates and civil liberties organizations
Negative-direction: Civil liberties advocates seeking prompt reform implementation
FISA Court, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
FISA Court faces effects in multiple directions
Email service providers and cloud storage companies, Interactive computer service providers including social media platforms, Technology companies
Positive-direction: Technology companies, Technology companies and telecommunications providers receiving national security orders
Negative-direction: Email service providers and cloud storage companies, Interactive computer service providers including social media platforms, Technology companies and ISPs holding user location and browsing data
Cloud infrastructure and data center providers, Data brokers, Data brokers and data aggregation companies
CDN and transmission service providers, Electronic communication service providers, Manufacturers of cell-site simulator equipment
Positive-direction: Electronic communication service providers
Negative-direction: CDN and transmission service providers, Manufacturers of cell-site simulator equipment
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_court"
- → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
- "the_director"
- → Director of National Intelligence
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States
- "the_court"
- → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States
- "the_director"
- → Director of National Intelligence
- "the_inspector_general"
- → Inspectors General of Intelligence Community elements
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States
- "the_director"
- → Director of National Intelligence
- "the_director_aousc"
- → Director of Administrative Office of US Courts
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The court established under section 103(a) of FISA
The court established under section 103(b) of FISA
Congressional intelligence committees, Senate Judiciary Committee, and House Judiciary Committee
Personally identifiable information obtained from a third party
Personally identifiable information acquired by any means
Data from electronic systems, sensors, or onboard devices that can be used to track or monitor vehicle location or movement
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology