Congress orders FBI to open its surveillance files on civil rights activists

What it does

This bill requires the federal government to publicly disclose all records related to COINTELPRO—the FBI's covert 1950s–1970s program that surveilled and disrupted domestic political organizations—within 6 months, with limited exceptions for national security or ongoing law enforcement. It establishes a COINTELPRO Records Collection at the National Archives and creates an independent Review Board to oversee the disclosure process, with a hard deadline of 25 years for full public release unless the Archivist agrees that specific records pose grave harm. The bill also renames the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building to the FBI Federal Building.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is mandatory public disclosure of government surveillance records with independent review oversight, designed to restore transparency and public accountability for a documented civil rights violation. The building rename is a secondary symbolic element.

• Redesignation of J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building to FBI Federal Building (sections 9–10) is substantively unrelated to COINTELPRO records disclosure.

What the text implies

• The 25-year hard deadline may force disclosure of records that agencies believe pose genuine national security risk if the Archivist disagrees with withholding recommendations, creating potential tension between transparency and security.
• The Review Board's power to subpoena private persons and compel government offices to account for destroyed records may uncover evidence of intentional destruction of COINTELPRO materials, creating liability exposure for agencies.
• Victims and next-of-kin notification requirement (7 days before disclosure) may be difficult to execute for records spanning decades and affecting thousands of individuals, potentially delaying release.
• The bill defines COINTELPRO narrowly (1956 program) but allows state/local government records created in connection with federal COINTELPRO inquiries, potentially expanding scope beyond the original FBI program.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens and researchers gain access to historical records documenting government surveillance and disruption of domestic political organizations, enabling informed public understanding of civil rights history and government accountability. The disclosure mechanism includes narrow, justified exceptions for genuine national security and ongoing law enforcement, balancing transparency with legitimate protective interests.

Named in the bill

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), COINTELPRO Records Review Board, Archivist of the United States, American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, Society of American Archivists, American Bar Association, J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building

Where it stands

3 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Jan 22, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 22, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.