S. 4998Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act of 2026

Sponsored by Rand PaulSen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
Introduced July 15, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 24, 2026 at 3:51 AM UTC

The Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act of 2026 would change the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to stop the government from spying on U.S. persons and from using any information gathered about them in criminal, civil, or administrative cases. It adds new limits on the use of Section 702 data and on surveillance conducted under Executive Order 12333, aiming to protect the privacy rights of U.S. citizens.

Key Provisions

  • Adds a new Title IX, Sec. 901 to FISA that bars any electronic surveillance, physical search, pen‑register or trap‑and‑trace device, production of tangible items, or targeting of a U.S. person under the Act.
  • Prohibits government officials from querying Section 702 data with search terms that relate to a U.S. person.
  • Bars the use of any information about a U.S. person obtained under FISA in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings, unless the person themselves chooses to use that information.
  • Extends the same prohibitions to surveillance and data collection carried out under Executive Order 12333 (and any successor orders).
  • Clarifies that these new limits do not override existing Supreme Court rulings on Fourth‑Amendment exceptions, such as exigent‑circumstances.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

July 15, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 15, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

July 15, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 15, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4998

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 15, 2026

Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to prohibit the use of authorities under such Act to surveil United States persons and to prohibit the use of information acquired under such Act in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding or as part of any criminal, civil, or administrative investigation.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act of 2026.

2.

Limitation on authorities in Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978

(a)

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978

(1)

In general

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

IX

Limitations

901.

Limitations on authorities to surveil United States persons and on use of information concerning United States persons

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Pen register and trap and trace device

The terms pen register and trap and trace device have the meanings given such terms in section 3127 of title 18, United States Code.

(2)

United States person

The term United States person has the meaning given such term in section 101.

(3)

Derived

Information or evidence is derived from an acquisition when the Government would not have originally possessed the information or evidence but for that acquisition, and regardless of any claim that the information or evidence is attenuated from the surveillance or search, would inevitably have been discovered, or was subsequently reobtained through other means.

(b)

Limitation on authorities

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an officer of the United States may not under this Act request an order for, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court may not under this Act order—

(1)

electronic surveillance of a United States person;

(2)

a physical search of a premises, information, material, or property used exclusively by, or under the open and exclusive control of, a United States person;

(3)

approval of the installation and use of a pen register or trap and trace device to obtain information concerning a United States person;

(4)

the production of tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items) concerning a United States person; or

(5)

the targeting of a United States person for the acquisition of information.

(c)

Limitation on queries of information collected under section 702

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an officer of the United States may not conduct a query of information collected pursuant to an authorization under section 702(a) using search terms associated with a United States person.

(d)

Limitation on use of information concerning United States persons

(1)

Definition of aggrieved person

In this subsection, the term aggrieved person means a person who is the target of any surveillance activity under this Act or any other person whose communications or activities were subject to any surveillance activity under this Act.

(2)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (3), any information concerning a United States person acquired or derived from an acquisition under this Act shall not be used in evidence against that United States person in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding or as part of any criminal, civil, or administrative investigation.

(3)

Use by aggrieved persons

An aggrieved person who is a United States person may use information concerning such person acquired under this Act in a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding or as part of a criminal, civil, or administrative investigation.

.

(2)

Clerical amendment

The table of contents preceding section 101 is amended by adding at the end the following:

.

(b)

Limitation on surveillance under Executive Order 12333

(1)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Aggrieved person

The term aggrieved person means—

(i)

a person who is the target of any surveillance activity under Executive Order 12333 (50 U.S.C. 3001 note; relating to United States intelligence activities), or successor order; or

(ii)

any other person whose communications or activities were subject to any surveillance activity under such Executive order, or successor order.

(B)

Pen register; trap and trace device; United States person

The terms pen register, trap and trace device, and United States person have the meanings given such terms in section 901 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, as added by subsection (a).

(2)

Limitation on acquisition

Where authority is provided by statute or by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to perform physical searches or to acquire, directly or through third parties, communications content, non-contents information, or business records, those authorizations shall provide the exclusive means by which such searches or acquisition shall take place if the target of acquisition is a United States person.

(3)

Limitation on use in legal proceedings

Except as provided in paragraph (5), any information concerning a United States person acquired or derived from an acquisition under Executive Order 12333 (50 U.S.C. 3001 note; relating to United States intelligence activities), or successor order, shall not be used in evidence against that United States person in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding or as part of any criminal, civil, or administrative investigation.

(4)

Limitation on United States person queries

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no governmental entity or officer of the United States shall query communications content, non-contents information, or business records of a United States person under Executive Order 12333 (50 U.S.C. 3001 note; relating to United States intelligence activities), or successor order.

(5)

Use by aggrieved persons

An aggrieved person who is a United States person may use information concerning such person acquired under Executive Order 12333, or successor order, in a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding or as part of a criminal, civil, or administrative investigation.

(c)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this section or the amendments made by this section shall be construed to abrogate jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of the United States relating to the exceptions to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, including the exigent circumstances exception.