What This Bill Does
H.R. 9238 would extend the sunset date for certain authorities in Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) from June 12, 2026 to July 2, 2026. It does not create a new surveillance program or change the underlying rules in the text provided; it simply pushes back the date when those authorities would otherwise expire. The bill affects federal intelligence and law-enforcement agencies that rely on these FISA authorities, as well as the Americans whose communications or data may be subject to those authorities. The only specific timing change in the bill is the new July 2, 2026 deadline.
- Moves the Title VII FISA repeal date from June 12, 2026 to July 2, 2026.
- Amends section 403(b) of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.
- Changes two statutory cross-references: 50 U.S.C. 1881 note and 18 U.S.C. 2511 note.
- Takes effect on the earlier of enactment or June 11, 2026.
- No new dollar amount, grant, or spending program is included.
Who This Bill Affects
For the general public, this bill mainly means that existing FISA Title VII surveillance authorities would stay in place until July 2, 2026 instead of expiring on June 12, 2026. If you are not directly affected by federal intelligence surveillance, the practical change is limited; if you are, the bill preserves the government’s current legal authority for those 20 additional days. Because the bill extends a surveillance power rather than creating a new benefit or cost, its effect is mostly about continued government authority over communications and data.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- National security officials They would argue the 20-day extension prevents a gap in surveillance authorities while Congress continues debating longer-term FISA policy. Maintaining continuity can be important for ongoing intelligence operations and foreign-threat monitoring.
- Law-enforcement and intelligence agencies These agencies are likely to favor a short extension because it preserves existing legal tools without forcing immediate operational changes. A lapse could complicate investigations or collection activities that depend on Title VII authorities.
- Some lawmakers focused on security continuity They may see a brief extension as a practical stopgap that buys time for further negotiations. The bill’s narrow scope avoids reopening the entire statute while still preventing expiration on June 12, 2026.
- Civil-liberties advocates They are likely to object that extending FISA authorities continues surveillance powers without adding new privacy safeguards or oversight in this bill. Even a short extension preserves the status quo for government access to communications and related data.
- Privacy-conscious constituents They may argue that any extension of surveillance authority should be paired with stronger limits, transparency, or judicial protections. A temporary extension still delays a broader policy debate about how these powers are used.
- Reform-minded lawmakers They may prefer to let the authorities expire or to use the deadline to force a more substantial rewrite. A short extension can be seen as postponing hard decisions about surveillance scope and accountability.
Key Implications
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““by striking `June 12, 2026' and inserting `July 2, 2026'””
This is the core policy change: the existing sunset date is delayed by 20 days. The practical effect is that the current FISA authorities remain available for that extra period unless Congress acts again.
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““Section 403(b) of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008””
The bill targets the expiration clause in the 2008 FISA Amendments Act rather than rewriting the surveillance rules themselves. That means the underlying authorities continue unchanged for now.
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““shall take effect on the earlier of the date of the enactment of this Act or June 11, 2026””
The extension is designed to become effective immediately or by June 11, 2026 at the latest. That timing suggests Congress is trying to avoid any lapse between the old sunset date and the new one.
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““in paragraph (2) (18 U.S.C. 2511 note)””
This shows the bill also updates a related statutory note tied to federal wiretap law cross-references. The change is technical, but it matters because it keeps the legal references aligned with the new expiration date.
Latest Status
June 10, 2026
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.