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HR7220119th Congress

COINTELPRO Full Disclosure Act

Sponsored By: Representative Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]

Introduced

Summary

Public disclosure of COINTELPRO records. The bill would require agencies to collect, review, and publish COINTELPRO files and create an independent Review Board plus a centralized archival collection under the Archivist of the United States.

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  • Affected individuals, including victims and next of kin, would be notified at least 7 days before public disclosure and narrow privacy and safety exemptions would limit releases that would cause harm.
  • The Archivist of the United States would establish a COINTELPRO Records Collection within 60 days and require agencies to transmit searchable electronic copies within two years for prioritized digitization and public access.
  • Heads of government offices would have to disclose COINTELPRO records within 6 months after enactment subject to enumerated harm-based exceptions. Records withheld would go to an independent COINTELPRO Records Review Board that can compel testimony and documents and that would operate for up to 4 years.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Independent COINTELPRO Review Board

If enacted, the bill would create an independent five-member COINTELPRO Records Review Board. The President would appoint members with Senate approval and the Board must hire a Chief of Staff within 45 days of its first meeting. The Board could subpoena people, compel documents and testimony, hold hearings, enforce subpoenas in federal court, and request release of sealed grand-jury material with an Attorney General response deadline of 45 days. The Board would make annual reports starting within one year and would end no later than four years after enactment, with one possible one-year extension.

New COINTELPRO Records Collection

If enacted, the Archivist would establish a COINTELPRO Records Collection within 60 days of enactment. The Archivist would preserve provenance, publish a subject guide and index, set transmission and metadata rules, and include transmitted copies, records already disclosed, and Review Board records. Records sent to the Archivist must be open for public inspection within 60 days of transmission and prioritized for digitization. The Archivist could charge copying fees but must allow fee waivers like FOIA and the Act would override other laws that bar disclosure except tax secrecy and narrow privacy protections for personnel and medical files.

Mandatory COINTELPRO Disclosure Rules

If enacted, heads of Government offices would have to disclose every COINTELPRO record they control within 6 months, subject to narrow "cause harm" exceptions. Offices must send searchable electronic copies of records that can be at least partially disclosed to the Archivist within 2 years, and must send withheld material to the Review Board for independent review. The bill narrowly defines when disclosure would "cause harm" (for example, serious national security or law-enforcement damage, classified information under E.O. 13526, revealing living confidential informants, unwarranted privacy invasions, endangering life, or juvenile protections) and requires disclosure of any reasonably segregable parts, substitute records, or summaries. Any record not fully disclosed by the Board's end must be public no later than 25 years after enactment unless a timely written exemption is recommended up to 180 days before that date and the Archivist agrees; specified high-level officials may override the Archivist but must notify requesters 90 days before the 25-year date. Affected persons must be notified at least seven days before public disclosure.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]

PA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 1/22/2026

  • Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 2/3/2026

  • Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 5/4/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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