fisc

When used in the lowercase, fisc generally means the treasury. For example, the case Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, Ltd., 601 U.S. 416 (2024) states: “The Constitution gives Congress control over the public fisc subject to the command that ‘[n]o Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.’ Art. I, §9, cl. 7. For most federal agencies, Congress provides funding through annual appropriations.” 

When capitalized, FISC stands for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. FISC was established in 1978 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It is a federal court tasked with authorizing requests by the executive branch to obtain foreign intelligence through various investigation methods. FISC reviews requests to ensure that the surveillance adheres to statutory and Fourth Amendment privacy protections. The FISC is composed of 11 judges designed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, nominated by the President, and confirmed by the Senate. FISC cases are ex parte and closed to the public due to the classified information involved. One of the 11 judges is on duty each week reviewing cases.  

[Last reviewed in March of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team] 

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