Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
Subpoena Abuse Prevention Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 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 Subpoena Abuse Prevention Act aims to change how the government uses administrative subpoenas to get customer records. It requires the government to identify specific subscribers and prohibits using subpoenas to investigate or retaliate against people for exercising their constitutional rights. Government entities must now provide a certification under penalty of perjury that the subpoena is for a lawful purpose. The bill also allows service providers to notify customers about subpoenas unless a court order says otherwise. Finally, federal entities must publicly report how many administrative subpoenas they use each year.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +8
Does this protect the individual right to speak freely?
Protects users from government surveillance when exercising free speech.
- Scored +8
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
Limits government access to private records and prohibits bulk data collection.
- Scored +8
Does this protect what people are allowed to say in public life?
Prohibits the use of subpoenas to monitor or retaliate against the exercise of free speech and press.
The opposite
- Scored -7
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
Significantly restricts domestic surveillance capabilities via administrative subpoenas.
- Scored -5
Does this give the federal government more power?
Decreases the power of federal entities to issue administrative subpoenas without strict certification.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Constitutional Rights: The bill stops government entities from using subpoenas to monitor, investigate, or retaliate against people for exercising free speech, press, religion, assembly, or petition (Section 2(c)).
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Ending Bulk Collection: By requiring the government to identify a subscriber by name, address, network address, or account identifier, the bill prevents the bulk collection of subscriber information (Section 2(b)).
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Increased Accountability: Government officials must now certify under penalty of perjury that a subpoena is for a legitimate and lawful purpose (Section 2(c)).
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Transparency for Consumers: Service providers are generally allowed to notify customers when a subpoena is received and can seek legal advice regarding it (Section 2(d)).
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Public Oversight: Federal entities must publish annual reports showing the number of administrative subpoenas issued and the number of accounts affected (Section 2(e)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limited Notice in Certain Cases: If the government gets a preclusion of notice order, the right of a service provider to notify the customer can still be limited (Section 2(d)).
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 protect the individual right to speak freely? — Protects users from government surveillance when exercising free speech. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Limits government access to private records and prohibits bulk data collection. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Requires annual public reporting of the number of administrative subpoenas issued. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Requires government certification under penalty of perjury for subpoenas. Does this give the federal government more power? — Decreases the power of federal entities to issue administrative subpoenas without strict certification.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect what people are allowed to say in public life? — Prohibits the use of subpoenas to monitor or retaliate against the exercise of free speech and press. Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion? — Explicitly prohibits subpoenas used to investigate the exercise of religion. Does this change how police departments operate? — Limits the ability of law enforcement to use administrative subpoenas for bulk data collection.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — Prevents bulk collection of subscriber data and requires specific identification of targets.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — Significantly restricts domestic surveillance capabilities via administrative subpoenas.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — Increases transparency and protects consumer data from bulk government collection.
- 5/21/2026
- 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.
Eric BurlisonRepublican · Missouri
Robin KellyDemocrat · Illinois
Thomas MassieRepublican · Kentucky