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119-s-4230119th Congress

Protecting Stolen Encrypted Data Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would direct the President, acting through the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, to develop strategies to identify and, when in the U.S. economic and national security interest, recover, destroy, or manipulate stolen encrypted U.S. data and classified information held by foreign entities. It would define covered data to include financial, medical, and biometric data of U.S. persons, plus intellectual property and trade secrets.

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  • Families and individuals: People whose financial, medical, or biometric data was stolen could be notified, when practicable, when agencies plan or complete efforts to recover, destroy, or manipulate that data.
  • Businesses and inventors: Companies may see government attempts to recover or manipulate stolen intellectual property and trade secrets, and agencies must include any recommended legislative or administrative steps in their report to Congress.
  • Defense and intelligence agencies: The Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence would jointly decide whether recovery, destruction, or manipulation is in U.S. economic and national security interests and could carry out those actions. They must submit an unclassified report to Congress within 1 year, with a classified annex if needed.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Plan to recover stolen encrypted U.S. data

If enacted, the bill would define "covered data" to include U.S. persons' financial, medical, biometric data, intellectual property, and trade secrets. It would require the President, through the Defense Secretary and the Director of National Intelligence, to make strategies to find covered or classified data unlawfully held by foreign entities and to determine whether the data were encrypted or have been decrypted. The Defense Secretary and the Director could jointly identify encrypted stolen data not yet decrypted and try to destroy, manipulate, or recover it after jointly deciding that action serves U.S. economic and national security interests. When practicable, they would inform lawful owners before acting and notify them after successful action. They would report the strategies and actions to Congress within one year in unclassified form, with a classified annex allowed.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]

NH • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 3/26/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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