Contact Congress about S. 3351: FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023
The government could keep using Section 702 surveillance through 2035. The FBI would face new limits, approvals, records, and reports when it searches that data for information about people in the United States.
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.
FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023 is a Senate bill in Congress.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects the FBI, intelligence agencies, and people in the United States whose information may appear in Section 702 data. It also affects elected officials, candidates, political groups, news organizations, religious groups, and people outside the United States who want to travel here. Congress, FISA court judges, outside court experts, Inspectors General, and agency compliance officers would also get new oversight roles.
Why this matters: This bill matters because it keeps a powerful surveillance tool in place while trying to reduce misuse. Section 702 helps agencies track foreign threats like terrorism, spying, and cyberattacks. But the data can also include messages involving people in the United States. The bill adds privacy rules and oversight, but its real effect would depend on how agencies, courts, and Congress use those rules.
Key provisions in S. 3351
- The bill keeps FISA Title VII alive until December 31, 2035. That includes Section 702, the power used to collect foreign intelligence from non-U.S. people overseas.
- Agencies could not search Section 702 data only to find evidence of a crime. The bill allows exceptions for threats to life or serious injury and for legal duties to share evidence in court cases.
- FBI staff would need training before running searches. They would also need to actively choose, or use a similar control, before including raw Section 702 data that has not been privacy-screened.
- FBI lawyers would need to approve batch searches first. Searches involving elected officials, candidates, political groups, news organizations, or religious groups would need top FBI approval plus legal review.
- FBI staff would have to write down a factual reason before using a U.S. person's identifier as a search term. The FBI would also need a technical system to save those records.
How Modern Action helps you take action on S. 3351
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 S. 3351
- What is S. 3351?
- The government could keep using Section 702 surveillance through 2035. The FBI would face new limits, approvals, records, and reports when it searches that data for information about people in the United States.
- How do I support or oppose S. 3351?
- 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 S. 3351?
- Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.
- Can Modern Action explain S. 3351 before I act?
- Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.
