# 117-hr-5524: Protecting Data at the Border Act

117-hr-5524, Protecting Data at the Border Act, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5524
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-5524
- Congress: 117
- Title: Protecting Data at the Border Act
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
- Introduced: 2021-10-08
- Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Protecting Data at the Border Act This bill limits government access to digital information at the border. A governmental entity may not (1) access the digital contents of electronic equipment of a U.S. person at the border without a warrant, (2) deny such a person's entry into or exit from the United States because the person refused to provide access to digital content on electronic equipment or online account information, (3) delay such a person's entry or exit for more than four hours to determine whether the person will consent to providing access to online information, or (4) seize electronic equipment from a U.S. person without probable cause to believe that such equipment contains information relevant to a felony. A governmental entity may access the contents of electronic equipment of a U.S. person without a warrant in an emergency. The entity must subsequently apply for a warrant within seven days, and if a warrant is not granted, the seized information must be destroyed and may not be disclosed. A governmental entity may not make or retain a copy of information accessed under this bill without probable cause to believe that such information relates to a crime. Information seized in violation of this bill (1) must be destroyed, (2) may not be disclosed, and (3) may not be received in evidence in any trial or government proceeding. A governmental entity shall keep a record of each instance in which it obtains access to an individual's digital information at the border.

## Cosponsors (4)

- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA), 2022-01-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY), 2022-01-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2022-01-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA), 2022-01-11T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 117-hr-1667: Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act
- 117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation…
- 117-hr-263: Big Cat Public Safety Act
- 117-hr-8404: Respect for Marriage Act
- 117-hr-1842: Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act
- 117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act

## Sources
- [117-hr-5524 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5524)

## Related
- [117-hr-1667: Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1667)
- [117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servi…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5142)
- [117-hr-263: Big Cat Public Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-263)
- [117-hr-8404: Respect for Marriage Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8404)
- [117-hr-1842: Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1842)
- [117-hr-1057: Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1057)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5524 (as of 2025-11-18).