Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
This bill adds a new criminal section to Title 18 making it unlawful to knowingly communicate classified information on a mobile or desktop messaging application. Violators face a fine, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both.
Security vs. civil liberties: deterrence prioritized by conservatives, rights concerns by liberals.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill adds a new federal criminal offense and corresponding penalty but is drafted as a terse, standalone provision.
This bill adds a new criminal section to Title 18 making it unlawful to knowingly communicate classified information on a mobile or desktop messaging application.
Violators face a fine, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both.
The bill inserts the new section (798B) immediately after existing section 798A in the criminal code.
Content is narrow and administrable, which helps, but legal overlap, civil liberties concerns, and lack of exceptions reduce odds.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill adds a new federal criminal offense and corresponding penalty but is drafted as a terse, standalone provision. It specifies prohibited conduct and punishment but omits many drafting elements that are typically expected for a broad criminal prohibition.
Security vs. civil liberties: deterrence prioritized by conservatives, rights concerns by liberals.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Security vs. civil liberties: deterrence prioritized by conservatives, rights concerns by liberals.
Progressive critics would acknowledge the national security intent but worry the text is overbroad and lacks safeguards.
They would be concerned about chilling effects on journalism, whistleblowers, and lawful public-interest disclosures.
They would press for narrow definitions, explicit whistleblower and press exemptions, and due-process protections.
A pragmatic moderate would see value in modernizing the criminal code to cover messaging apps but worry about legal clarity and proportionality.
They would favor targeted changes: clearer definitions, narrow application, and procedural safeguards to avoid unintended consequences.
Support would be conditional on amendments addressing those legal gaps.
Mainstream conservatives would generally favor stronger penalties and modernization to deter leaks that could harm national security.
They would view the bill as an appropriate law-and-order step, though some may seek clarity to ensure enforceability.
Overall inclination is strongly supportive, prioritizing deterrence and prosecution capability.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Content is narrow and administrable, which helps, but legal overlap, civil liberties concerns, and lack of exceptions reduce odds.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Security vs. civil liberties: deterrence prioritized by conservatives, rights concerns by liberals.
Content is narrow and administrable, which helps, but legal overlap, civil liberties concerns, and lack of exceptions reduce odds.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill adds a new federal criminal offense and corresponding penalty but is drafted as a terse, standalone provision. It specifies prohibited conduct and punishment but omit…
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