Government Surveillance Transparency Act of 2023

The Government Surveillance Transparency Act of 2023 requires courts to make criminal surveillance orders, applications, and inventories publicly available after a limited sealing period (up to 180 days, with possible extensions only for specific safety concerns like witness intimidation or evidence destruction). It establishes procedures for requesting unsealing of documents and mandates courts to publish detailed annual reports on surveillance requests, including the nature of investigations and the number of applications granted or denied. The law requires electronic filing of all surveillance-related documents and creates a $25 million grant program to help State and Tribal courts implement these transparency requirements. This bill directly affects law enforcement agencies, courts, and service providers that handle surveillance requests, aiming to increase public transparency around government surveillance activities.