Joaquin Castro (D-TX)
Terrorist Watchlist Modification Review Act
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Terrorist Watchlist Modification Review Act requires the Director of the FBI to notify specific congressional committees of material changes to policies or procedures regarding the terrorist watchlist and the transnational organized crime watchlist. These notifications must include a summary of the changes and be submitted within 30 days of the change taking effect. Additionally, the FBI must provide all applicable guidance to committees upon request. The bill also mandates an annual report for two years regarding known or presumed United States persons on the terrorist watchlist. This report must include specific data on the number of persons, their inclusion on other lists, and the agencies that nominated them.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill mandates that the FBI notify congressional committees of policy changes and provide requested guidance to ensure transparency.
- Scored +3
Does this change how police departments operate?
The bill increases transparency and oversight regarding how the FBI manages and modifies terrorist and organized crime watchlists.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
While the bill increases oversight, it focuses on the administration of domestic surveillance tools like the terrorist watchlist.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Oversight of Watchlist Policies: Under Section 2(a), the FBI Director must notify congressional committees of any material change to policies or procedures for adding or removing people from the terrorist or transnational organized crime watchlists. This ensures that changes to how people are tracked are reported to Congress.
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Access to Governing Guidance: Per Section 2(b), congressional committees can request and receive all guidance that governs the use of these watchlists, providing transparency into the rules being used.
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Data Transparency Regarding United States Persons: Section 3 requires an annual report that details the number of known or presumed United States persons on the terrorist watchlist. This report includes specific breakdowns, such as whether they are on a no fly list or a selectee list for additional screening, which provides specific information regarding the status of these individuals.
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Accountability for Nominations: According to Section 3(b)(2)(E), the annual report must identify the Federal agencies that nominated United States persons to the terrorist watchlist, which provides accountability for which agencies are adding people to these lists.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates that the FBI notify congressional committees of policy changes and provide requested guidance to ensure transparency.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill increases transparency and oversight regarding how the FBI manages and modifies terrorist and organized crime watchlists.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — While the bill increases oversight, it focuses on the administration of domestic surveillance tools like the terrorist watchlist.
- 12/10/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.