Congressional Records Protection Act of 2026
Latest action. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 704.
Congressional Records Protection Act of 2026
This bill generally prohibits the government from issuing a search warrant, grand jury subpoena, court order, statutory authorization, certification, subpoena, or an administrative order (i.e., executing legal process) that could reasonably return congressional records. Congressional records include (1) written materials and electronic or wire communications prepared by, shared with, or obtained by a Member of Congress or congressional employee in the course of official duties; and (2) records of an electronic or wire communications service related to accounts or certain communications of a Member of Congress or congressional employee.
The bill provides exceptions to the general prohibition. Specifically, the government may execute legal process that could reasonably return congressional records if (1) the subject of the process is the target of a criminal investigation, (2) the material sought pertains to a Member of Congress or congressional employee who is the target of a criminal investigation, or (3) the records are certain electronic or wire communications.
If the government executes legal process under an exception that could reasonably return or that unexpectedly returns congressional records, then the bill generally requires the government to notify the Member of Congress or congressional employee and delay or halt review of the materials for 30 days.
If the legal process could reasonably return certain congressional records from an electronic or wire communications service provider, then the bill requires a special master to be appointed to identify materials that are constitutionally protected from disclosure.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to House" stage on September 8, 2026. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 8, 2026: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 704.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 118th Congress (2023-24), 274 of the 16,565 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 1.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Mike Kelly (R-PA) introduced it on June 2, 2026, and 6 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 6 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 2, 2026, 146 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 48 days ago, on September 8, 2026.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 119th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2027 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers