Contact Congress about H.R. 6262: Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023
The government would face tougher rules before searching or using digital data about people in the United States. The bill adds warrant rules, data limits, discipline for misuse, and more public reporting. It also extends Section 702 foreign surveillance through September 30, 2027.
Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.
Government Surveillance Reform Act of 2023 is a House bill in Congress.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects people in the United States whose phone, internet, car, or app data could be searched or used by the government. It also affects intelligence agencies, law enforcement, courts, technology companies, data brokers, and congressional overseers. The bill changes what agencies must get approved, what companies must provide, and what courts and watchdogs must review.
Why this matters: This bill matters because many government searches now involve huge stores of digital data that can include Americans' private information. The bill would add more warrants, shorter retention periods, and more oversight before agencies can search or use that data. It could strengthen privacy and public trust. It could also make some intelligence and law enforcement work slower or more complicated, especially in urgent national security cases.
Key provisions in H.R. 6262
- Officials usually could not search Section 702 or Executive Order 12333 data for information about U.S. persons or people in the United States without a warrant. The bill allows narrow exceptions for emergencies, consent, related court orders, and some defensive cybersecurity work.
- The government could use Section 702 information about U.S. persons only in limited serious-threat cases. Those include terrorism, spying, weapons of mass destruction, major cyberattacks, attacks on critical infrastructure, attacks on U.S. or allied forces, and international drug trafficking, and the Attorney General must approve the use.
- The bill permanently removes language that could have let the government restart “abouts” collection under Section 702. It also tightens the ban on reverse targeting, which means using a foreign target as a cover to get a U.S. person's information.
- The Attorney General would have to set rules to delete most covered Section 702 information about U.S. persons within five years. The bill allows narrow exceptions for court preservation duties or investigations tied to listed threats.
- The government could demand technical help from electronic communication providers under Section 702 only when the court approves the method. The method must be needed, narrow, and not too burdensome, and the provider need not comply without a clear Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court order describing the help.
How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 6262
You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.
Questions people ask about H.R. 6262
- What is H.R. 6262?
- The government would face tougher rules before searching or using digital data about people in the United States. The bill adds warrant rules, data limits, discipline for misuse, and more public reporting. It also extends Section 702 foreign surveillance through September 30, 2027.
- How do I support or oppose H.R. 6262?
- Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.
- Who should I contact about H.R. 6262?
- Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.
- Can Modern Action explain H.R. 6262 before I act?
- Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.
