# Plain Language Summary: FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023

This bill makes significant changes to how the FBI can search through foreign intelligence data, particularly when that search involves Americans. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is a decades-old law that lets the government collect communications of foreign targets, but sometimes Americans' information gets caught up in that collection. This bill adds new rules about what the FBI can do with that information.

The biggest change is that the FBI can no longer search through this foreign intelligence data just to find evidence of ordinary crimes. For example, if the FBI collects communications about a foreign spy, but those communications also mention an American committing tax fraud, the FBI can't use this foreign intelligence system to hunt for tax fraud evidence. There are narrow exceptions: the FBI can still search if there's an immediate threat to someone's life or safety, or if they need information for a court case. The bill also requires FBI supervisors or lawyers to approve any search using an American's name before the search happens, except in emergencies.

The bill adds extra protections for members of Congress. If the FBI searches for a congressman's name in this foreign intelligence data, they must notify congressional leadership about it. If the FBI wants to search for a member's information specifically to brief them on a security threat, they generally need that member's permission first. The bill also creates stronger penalties for government employees who misuse this system—including potential removal from office, criminal charges, and increased prison time for violations.

Finally, the bill requires more transparency and oversight. It demands that applications to the secret FISA court include sworn statements, prohibits using information from news articles or political sources as justification, and creates a special lawyer position to challenge applications that target Americans. The bill also requires regular audits of FBI searches and mandates that Congress be notified about certain violations. These changes aim to prevent the kind of abuses that have been documented in recent years, where FBI officials improperly searched for Americans' information.