# 119-s-3651: Special Operator Protection Act of 2026

119-s-3651, Special Operator Protection Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3651
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3651
- Congress: 119
- Title: Special Operator Protection Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-01-15
- Sponsor: Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Criminal ban on doxing U.S. special operations personnel and their families.** This bill would create a new federal offense that makes it illegal to publish certain personal information about covered special operations personnel or their immediate family when done to threaten, intimidate, or facilitate violence. - Special operations personnel and immediate family members would be protected. The bill defines covered people to include members of special operations forces, Defense Department personnel designated by the Secretary of Defense for sensitive activities, and federal law enforcement working with special operations. It also adopts an existing definition of immediate family. - It defines the restricted personal information that is off-limits. That list includes a name linked to employment, face images or likeness, home images, personal identifiers like birth date or Social Security number, home contact details, personal email or fax, and biometric data. - People who knowingly publish this restricted information with the required intent would face criminal penalties. Penalties include fines and up to 5 years in prison, with enhanced sentences up to any term of years or life if death or serious bodily injury results.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2026-01-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Ban on publishing special operators' info: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would make it a federal crime to publicly post certain personal data about special operations personnel. Covered people would include members of the special operations forces, Defense Department employees who do sensitive activities, and federal officers working with special op…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-2647: International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026
- 119-s-1639: American Innovation and Jobs Act
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-3651 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3651)

## Related
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-2647: International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2647)
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [119-s-1639: American Innovation and Jobs Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1639)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3651 (as of 2026-08-11).