# 119-hr-4811: Cell-Site Simulator Warrant Act of 2025 119-hr-4811, Cell-Site Simulator Warrant Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-29). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4811 - As of: 2026-05-29 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-4811 - Congress: 119 - Title: Cell-Site Simulator Warrant Act of 2025 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-07-29 - Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA) - Cosponsors: 1 - Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-05-29 ## Summary **This bill would create a federal framework that limits and tightly regulates the use of cell‑site simulators** by imposing a general ban, narrow exceptions, strict warrant and minimization rules, and inspector‑general and FCC oversight. It sets criminal and civil remedies, model‑specific disclosure rules, notice requirements, and detailed protections for tracking and interception. ## Cosponsors (1) - Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] (R-CA), 2025-07-29T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Ban and strict warrants for simulators: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would ban use of cell-site simulators in the U.S., with narrow exceptions. Police would need a warrant that shows other methods failed, are unlikely to work, or are too dangerous. Warrants must tightly limit time (30 days or less) and place, list possible service disruptions, a… - Stronger evidence and notice protections: benefit, high. If enacted, courts could not use data from an unlawful simulator, or anything found because of it, except in a case about the violation itself. Defendants would have to be told if simulator data is used against them. Judges would also have to send notice within 90 days after a warrant ends or is de… - Right to sue and fines: benefit, medium. If enacted, anyone unlawfully targeted could sue the user, including a government. You could seek actual damages, lawyer fees, and up to $500 per violation. Courts could also fine violators up to $250,000. Agencies would face annual Inspector General reports and must start discipline reviews when s… - Limits on data collection and tracking: benefit, medium. The bill would limit what a simulator can collect to device identifiers and signal strength and direction. Police would also need to follow wiretap law to intercept content. Tracking someone would trigger tracking-device and court rules, with limits on out-of-area use. The Attorney General would pu… - Clear definitions of covered devices: benefit, low. The bill would define "cell-site simulator" and related terms and update cross-references. This would help courts and agencies apply the rules. These definitions would take effect two years after enactment. - Narrow emergency and intelligence uses: mixed, high. The bill would allow warrantless use only in true emergencies, like immediate danger to life, organized crime activity, or a national security threat. In most cases, agencies would need to seek a warrant within 48 hours or stop and destroy the data. The 48-hour filing rule would not apply when loca… - Limited testing and FCC rulemaking: mixed, low. The bill would allow limited testing and training when not aimed at any person and under Attorney General–approved procedures. Test periods would be no longer than 90 days unless extended, and any test or training data would be destroyed. The FCC would start rulemaking within 180 days, and the FCC… - Prison contraband systems with safeguards: mixed, low. Prisons and jails could run contraband‑interdiction systems if they meet safeguards. They would need to limit signals to the property, post signs, follow FCC and, if applicable, NTIA policies, test yearly, and report problems to the FCC within 10 business days. This would start two years after enac… ## Related bills - 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025 - 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act - 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 - 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act - 119-hr-8516: American Leadership in AI Act ## Sources - [119-hr-4811 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4811) ## Related - [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877) - [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151) - [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977) - [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481) - [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973) - [119-hr-8516: American Leadership in AI Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8516) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4811 (as of 2026-05-29).