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H.R. 2586: FISA Court Accountability Act

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H.R. 2586: FISA Court Accountability Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-06-28 · Law · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2013-06-28 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

FISA Court Accountability Act

Plain summary

FISA Court Accountability Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to require the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to consist of 11 publicly designated district court judges, of whom 3 judges are designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and 2 judges each are designated, respectively, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate. (Currently, the Chief Justice designates all 11 judges.) Requires any authority exercised by the court en banc (consisting of all judges who constitute the court when an en banc proceeding is ordered by a majority of the judges in certain circumstances) to be exercised only when agreed to by at least 60% of the judges sitting en banc. Directs the Chief Justice, the Speaker, and the majority leader of the Senate (or, if the majority leader is a member of the same political party as the Speaker, the minority leader of the Senate) to each publicly designate one judge from the U.S. district courts or courts of appeals who together shall comprise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. (Currently, the Chief Justice designates all three of such judges.) Allows such court to decide in favor of the government only if the decision of the reviewing judges is unanimous. Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) to submit to Congress a copy of any decision, order, or opinion issued by each court (currently, only those issuances with a significant construction or interpretation of FISA) along with an unclassified summary of each such decision, order, or opinion.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

FISA Court Accountability Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Peter Welch (D-VT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] reported raising $785,039 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong113-hr2586 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113