New federal crime: trespassing on intelligence property carries up to 10 years.

What it does

This bill makes it a federal crime to enter or access intelligence community property without permission when it is clearly marked as closed or restricted. First-time offenders face up to 180 days in jail and/or fines; repeat offenders face progressively longer sentences up to 10 years for a third or subsequent offense.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is the creation of a new federal crime for unauthorized access to marked intelligence community property, with graduated penalties. It is a straightforward security measure, not a regulatory or appropriations instrument.

What the text implies

• The statute's enforceability depends on how IC elements mark property as 'closed or restricted' — inconsistent or unclear marking could create disputes over whether entry was truly unauthorized, potentially leading to prosecutions of individuals who reasonably believed access was permitted.
• Escalating penalties (10 years for third offense) may be disproportionate to the underlying harm of trespass, especially if applied to whistleblowers, journalists, or researchers who access IC property in good faith or for protected speech purposes.
• The bill does not define 'element of the intelligence community' or clarify whether it includes contractors, leased facilities, or only government-owned property, creating potential ambiguity in scope.

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

Who it affects

The bill protects legitimate government security interests by criminalizing trespass on sensitive facilities, which is a reasonable public-safety measure. However, the statute's scope depends entirely on what "clearly marked as closed or restricted" means in practice — vague boundary marking or overly broad IC claims could criminalize innocent entry or whistleblowing access, and the escalating penalties (10 years for a third offense) are severe for what may be a technical trespass.

Named in the bill

Intelligence Community, National Security Act of 1947, Title 18 United States Code

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 3 Republicans, 1 Independents.

• Jul 24, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jul 24, 2025 — Referred to Senate Select Committee on Intelligence · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence”

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