H.R. 6019 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Nov 19, 2025. Received Nov 20, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRepeals Senate data protection lawsuit authority
This bill removes a Senator's legal right to sue the federal government if an internet service provider or the Senate Sergeant at Arms shares data from a Senator's office with a federal agency without properly notifying the Senator first. That notification requirement was put in place recently to protect Senate office data, but this bill would eliminate the ability to take legal action if someone breaks that rule.
How it affects you
This change affects Senators and their offices. If passed, Senators would lose their ability to sue the federal government for damages when their office data is shared without following the proper notice procedures. Most everyday Americans won't feel a direct impact, though it concerns how federal agencies and Senate operations handle sensitive office information.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Nov 12, 2025)
This bill repeals the authority for a Senator to bring a civil action against the federal government if an internet service provider or the Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA) accessed or disclosed, or accesses or discloses, data from the Senator's office to provide to a federal agency without following prescribed notice requirements. The authority applies to a qualifying instance occurring on or after January 1, 2022.
The authority for the civil action was enacted in H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 , which was signed by the President on November 12, 2026. The relevant provision requires written notice from the internet service provider or the SAA to the Senate office upon receipt of any legal process seeking access or disclosure of covered data. A Senator affected by a federal violation of the provision may sue the federal government for the greater of $500,000 per violation or the actual damages, plus attorney's fees and related costs.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 6019
AN ACT
To repeal certain provisions relating to notification to Senate offices regarding legal process on disclosure of Senate data, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-8) · Introduced Nov 12, 2025 · Congress · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Nov 20, 2025: “Received in the Senate.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Nov 19, 2025
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Passed 426–0
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 210 | 0 | 4 |
| Republicans | 216 | 0 | 3 |
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.