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H.R. 7856 116th Congress House

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

Official title: To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 30, 2020 Introduced by: Adam B. Schiff Democratic · California See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 6 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 30, 2020
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 463.
Oct 30, 2020
Reported by the Committee on Intelligence. H. Rept. 116-565.
Jul 31, 2020
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 11 - 8.
Jul 31, 2020
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jul 30, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select).
Jul 30, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Latest action October 30, 2020

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 463.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

This bill authorizes various intelligence-related activities for FY2021 and contains other related provisions.

The bill's provisions include those

  • requiring each intelligence community element to notify Congress before conducting certain activities, including providing support to a government response to a domestic civil disturbance, with some exceptions, or engaging in an activity pursuant to a presidential emergency action document;
  • generally prohibiting the intelligence community from awarding a contract for a national security satellite that uses a star tracker not produced in the United States;
  • providing for paid leave for a civilian intelligence community employee to address a serious health condition;
  • establishing the Office of the Ombudsman for Analytic Objectivity;
  • requiring the Department of Homeland Security to establish an intelligence and cybersecurity diversity fellowship program, which may provide an eligible individual with a paid internship or employment offer upon graduation;
  • imposing certain protections related to intelligence community inspectors general, such as by limiting when the President may remove such an inspector general and limiting who may serve as an acting inspector general;
  • providing for criminal penalties in certain instances for a federal government employee or officer who knowingly and willfully discloses the identity of an intelligence community whistleblower;
  • requiring a political committee to report certain foreign contacts and establishing criminal penalties for violations of such requirements in certain instances; and
  • prohibiting the use of funds made available to the intelligence community for FY2021 to enable or assist air strikes in Yemen by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition.
 Related & companion bills 4
  • HR 6624 USA Telecommunications Act
  • HR 7225 The Global Pandemic NIE Act of 2020
  • HR 8763 To direct the Director of National Intelligence to award contracts or grants, or enter into transactions other than con…
  • HR 8993 Department of Homeland Security Intelligence and Cybersecurity Diversity Fellowship Program Act
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 7856: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7856/
MLA
"H.R. 7856: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7856/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 7856, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7856/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 7856: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7856/)
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