Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2026
In committee: it can still change before the session ends.
- Stage
- In committee
- Started in
- House
- Sponsors
- 8
- Latest action
- Mar 12, 2026
What it does
The Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2026 would amend the Espionage Act to raise the mental state required for conviction from "intent or reason to believe" to "specific intent" and add a requirement that the defendant acted with specific intent to injure the United States or advantage a foreign nation. It would limit liability under Sections 793 and 798 of Title 18 to individuals who are "covered persons"—those with official access to classified information who signed a nondisclosure agreement and were authorized by the President or a designated agency head—and would allow defendants to testify about their purpose and assert an affirmative defense if they…
No official summary is available here. This one was written by AI from the bill’s text.
Where it stands
Introduced (Done)
Committee (Current step)
Floor (Not started)
Law (Not started)
What moved
Who is involved
Sponsors
The lawmakers who put their names on it, lead sponsors first.
In the news
Reporting that may mention this subject. Possible matches are labeled.
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Where it goes next
While a bill can still move, the questions are about people and money.