SPIES Act
The SPIES Act would remove any time limit for prosecuting certain espionage-related offenses. Specifically, it adds a new provision (Sec. 3302) to 18 U.S.C. Chapter 213, allowing indictments or informations to be filed at any time for: (1) violations of 18 U.S.C. 951 (and conspiracies to violate 951), (2) violations of 18 U.S.C. 794 (and conspiracies to violate 794), and (3) violations of 18 U.S.C. 1425 when the offense was carried out to facilitate a violation of 951. The bill also makes minor clerical and conforming amendments, including updating the table of sections and removing a reference to 794 in a related internal security provision. In short, it eliminates the statute of limitations for these espionage-related offenses, meaning there would be no time cap on when prosecutors can bring charges for those crimes.
Key Points
- 1Creates a new Sec. 3302 in Chapter 213 of title 18 to establish no-time-limit (no statute of limitations) for certain espionage offenses.
- 2Indictments or informations may be filed at any time for:
- 3- (1) violations of 18 U.S.C. 951 (acting as an agent of a foreign government) or conspiracies to violate 951.
- 4- (2) violations of 18 U.S.C. 794 (gathering, transmitting, or losing national defense information) or conspiracies to violate 794.
- 5- (3) violations of 18 U.S.C. 1425 (unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization) if done to facilitate a violation of 951.
- 6Adds “conspiracy” language to include planned or coordinated actions toward these offenses.
- 7Clerical amendment: updates the table of sections to include the new Sec. 3302.
- 8Conforming amendment: revises language in the Internal Security Act of 1950 by removing reference to 794 (keeping 793).
- 9Sponsor and status: Introduced in the Senate (S. 2227) on July 9, 2025 by Senator Cornyn (with Senators Rounds and Lankford), referred to the Judiciary Committee; status is “introduced.”