A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Received in the Senate.
Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed House voice vote
- Awaiting Senate
The House by voice vote (members called out yes or no together): no member's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Safe Cloud Storage Act. It allows cloud service providers to store digital child pornography, child obscenity, and intimate visual depictions of minors for law enforcement agencies. The bill gives these approved vendors limited legal liability when they perform their contractual duties. It also sets strict cybersecurity and data location requirements for these vendors. Additionally, the legislation outlines how evidence must be retained and requires vendors to notify the Department of Justice under certain circumstances.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +7
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
Mandates NIST standards and end-to-end encryption for sensitive law enforcement data.
- Scored +6
Would business owners be better off under this?
Provides limited liability protections for companies providing storage services to government agencies.
- Scored +6
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
Implements strict access controls and encryption for highly sensitive digital evidence.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
Limits the ability to bring civil claims against approved vendors for contractual performance.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Cybersecurity Controls: Under Section 2(c), approved vendors must secure stored materials using the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, employ end-to-end encryption, undergo independent annual cybersecurity audits, and limit employee access. This helps protect sensitive data from being leaked or improperly accessed.
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Data Location Protections: Under Section 2(e)(1), approved vendors must ensure that stored materials remain within the United States unless the contracting law enforcement agency gives express consent for an investigative transfer. This keeps sensitive evidence under domestic jurisdiction.
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Clear Accountability for Misconduct: Under Section 2(b)(2), civil claims and criminal charges can still be brought against an approved vendor if they engage in intentional or negligent misconduct, act with actual malice, show reckless disregard for causing injury, or act for purposes unrelated to their contracted responsibilities. This ensures companies can be held responsible if they break the rules.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limited Legal Recourse Against Vendors: Under Section 2(b)(1), civil claims and criminal charges generally cannot be brought against an approved vendor in Federal or State court for performing their contractual obligations of storing or maintaining these materials. This limits the ability of individuals to sue these private entities unless specific exceptions like intentional misconduct or negligence are proven.
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Provides limited liability protections for companies providing storage services to government agencies. Would children be better off under this? — Improves the ability of law enforcement to securely store and process evidence of child abuse.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — Mandates NIST standards and end-to-end encryption for sensitive law enforcement data.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Provides a clear legal framework and limited liability for specialized storage vendors. Is this likely to create jobs? — Creates new contractual opportunities for cloud storage and forensic vendors. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Supports the growth of the domestic cybersecurity and cloud storage industry.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — Implements strict access controls and encryption for highly sensitive digital evidence.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Requires notification to the DOJ for contracts between any level of government and vendors. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Limits the ability to bring civil claims against approved vendors for contractual performance.
- 9/17/2026
- Received in the Senate.
- 9/16/2026
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5936-5937)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7834.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5936-5938)
- Ms. Lee (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 9/8/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-804.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 703.
- 8/27/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/15/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 0.
- 6/9/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/5/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Steve CohenDemocrat · Tennessee
Madeleine DeanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Harriet HagemanRepublican · Wyoming
Brad KnottRepublican · North Carolina
John McGuireRepublican · Virginia