HR 3846 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to provide additional civil liberties protections, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

October 20, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. NADLER of New York, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. COHEN, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, and Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Select Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to provide additional civil liberties protections, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘FISA Amendments Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IMMUNITY.

(a) In General- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is amended by striking title VIII (50 U.S.C. 1885 et seq.).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment- The table of contents in the first section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by striking the items relating to title VIII and sections 801, 802, 803, and 804.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON BULK COLLECTION UNDER FISA AMENDMENTS ACT.

Section 702(g)(2)(A) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1881a(g)(2)(A)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in clause (vi), by striking ‘and’ at the end;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by inserting after clause (vi) the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(vii) the acquisition of the contents (as that term is defined in section 2510(8) of title 18, United States Code) of any communication is limited to communications to which any party is an individual target (which shall not be limited to known or named individuals) who is reasonably believed to be located outside of the United States, and a significant purpose of the acquisition of the communications of the target is to obtain foreign intelligence information; and’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON REVERSE TARGETING UNDER FISA AMENDMENTS ACT.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1881a) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘the purpose’ and all that follows and inserting the following: ‘a significant purpose of the acquisition is to acquire the communications of a particular, known person reasonably believed to be located in the United States, except in accordance with title I;’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in subsection (d)(1)(A)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking ‘ensure that’ and insert the following: ‘ensure--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) that’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) that an application is filed under title I, if otherwise required, when a significant purpose of an acquisition authorized under subsection (a) is to acquire the communications of a particular, known person reasonably believed to be located in the United States; and’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in subsection (g)(2)(A)(i)(I)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking ‘ensure that’ and insert the following: ‘ensure--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(aa) that’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

(B) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(bb) that an application is filed under title I, if otherwise required, when a significant purpose of an acquisition authorized under subsection (a) is to acquire the communications of a particular, known person reasonably believed to be located in the United States; and’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

(4) in subsection (i)(2)(B)(i)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking ‘ensure that’ and insert the following: ‘ensure--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) that’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) that an application is filed under title I, if otherwise required, when a significant purpose of an acquisition authorized under subsection (a) is to acquire the communications of a particular, known person reasonably believed to be located in the United States; and’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. LIMITS ON USE OF UNLAWFULLY OBTAINED INFORMATION UNDER FISA AMENDMENTS ACT.

Section 702(i)(3) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1881a(i)(3)) is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) CORRECTION OF DEFICIENCIES-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) IN GENERAL- If the Court finds that a certification required by subsection (g) does not contain all of the required elements, or that the procedures required by subsections (d) and (e) are not consistent with the requirements of those subsections or the fourth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Court shall issue an order directing the Government to, at the Government’s election and to the extent required by the order of the Court--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) correct any deficiency identified by the order of the Court not later than 30 days after the date on which the Court issues the order; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) cease or not begin the acquisition authorized under subsection (a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) LIMITATION ON USE OF INFORMATION-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subclause (II), no information obtained or evidence derived from an acquisition for which a deficiency is identified by the Court under clause (i) concerning any United States person shall be received in evidence or otherwise disclosed in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any court, grand jury, department, office, agency, regulatory body, legislative committee, or other authority of the United States, a State, or political subdivision thereof, and no information concerning any United States person acquired from the acquisition shall subsequently be used or disclosed in any other manner by Federal officers or employees without the consent of the United States person, except with the approval of the Attorney General if the information indicates a threat of death or serious bodily harm to any person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) EXCEPTION- If the Government corrects any deficiency identified by the order of the Court under clause (i), the Court may permit the use or disclosure of information acquired before the date of the correction under such minimization procedures as the Court shall establish for purposes of this clause.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OF AMERICANS COLLECTED UNDER FISA AMENDMENTS ACT.

(a) In General- Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1881) is amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 709. ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS FOR COMMUNICATIONS OF PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES.

‘(a) Limitations on Acquisition of Communications-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) LIMITATION- Except as provided in paragraph (2), no communication shall be acquired under this title if the Government knows before or at the time of acquisition that the communication is to or from a person reasonably believed to be located in the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) EXCEPTION-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a communication may be acquired in accordance with this title if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) there is reason to believe that the communication concerns international terrorist activities directed against the United States, or activities in preparation therefor;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) there is probable cause to believe that the target reasonably believed to be located outside the United States is an agent of a foreign power and the foreign power is a group engaged in international terrorism or activities in preparation therefor; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) there is reason to believe that the acquisition is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) ACCESS TO COMMUNICATIONS- Communications acquired under this paragraph shall be treated in accordance with subsection (b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINATIONS BEFORE OR AT THE TIME OF ACQUISITION-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) SUBMISSION- Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the FISA Amendments Act of 2009, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for approval procedures for determining before or at the time of acquisition, where reasonably practicable, whether a communication is to or from a person reasonably believed to be located in the United States and whether the exception under paragraph (2) applies to that communication.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) REVIEW- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court shall approve the procedures submitted under subparagraph (A) if the procedures are reasonably designed to determine before or at the time of acquisition, where reasonably practicable, whether a communication is to or from a person reasonably believed to be located in the United States and whether the exception under paragraph (2) applies to that communication.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) PROCEDURES DO NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS- If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court concludes that the procedures submitted under subparagraph (A) do not meet the requirements of subparagraph (B), the Court shall enter an order so stating and provide a written statement for the record of the reasons for the determination. The Government may appeal an order under this subparagraph to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) USE OF PROCEDURES- If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approves procedures under this paragraph, the Government shall use the procedures in any acquisition of communications under this title.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) REVISIONS- The Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, may submit new or amended procedures to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for review under this paragraph.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) RELIABILITY- If the Government obtains new information relating to the reliability of procedures approved under this paragraph or the availability of more reliable procedures, the Attorney General shall submit to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court the information.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Limitations on Access to Communications-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- At such time as the Government can reasonably determine that a communication acquired under this title (including a communication acquired under subsection (a)(2)) is to or from a person reasonably believed to be located in the United States, the communication shall be segregated or specifically designated and no person shall access the communication, except in accordance with title I or this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) EXCEPTIONS- In addition to any authority under title I, including the emergency provision in section 105(f), a communication described in paragraph (1) may be accessed and disseminated for a period of not longer than 7 days if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A)(i) there is reason to believe that the communication concerns international terrorist activities directed against the United States, or activities in preparation therefor;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) there is probable cause to believe that the target reasonably believed to be located outside the United States is an agent of a foreign power and the foreign power is a group engaged in international terrorism or activities in preparation therefor; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) there is reason to believe that the access is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the Attorney General notifies the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court immediately of the access; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) not later than 7 days after the date the access is initiated, the Attorney General--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) makes an application for an order under title I; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) submits to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court a document that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) certifies that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(aa) there is reason to believe that the communication concerns international terrorist activities directed against the United States, or activities in preparation therefor;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(bb) there is probable cause to believe that the target reasonably believed to be located outside the United States is an agent of a foreign power and the foreign power is a group engaged in international terrorism or activities in preparation therefor; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(cc) there is reason to believe that the access is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(II) identifies the target of the collection, the party to the communication who is in the United States if known, and the extent to which information relating to the communication has been disseminated.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) DENIAL OF COURT ORDER- If an application for a court order described in paragraph (2)(C)(i) is made and is not approved, the Attorney General shall submit to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, not later than 7 days after the date of the denial of the application, the document described in paragraph (2)(C)(ii).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) ADDITIONAL COURT AUTHORITIES-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court may--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) limit access to communications described in paragraph (1) relating to a particular target if the Court determines that any certification submitted under paragraph (2)(C)(ii)(I) with respect to that target is clearly erroneous; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) require the Attorney General to provide the factual basis for a certification submitted under paragraph (2)(C)(ii)(I), if the Court determines it would aid the Court in conducting review under this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) FISC ACCESS- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court shall have access to any communications that have been segregated or specifically designated under paragraph (1) and any information the use of which has been limited under paragraph (5).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) FAILURE TO NOTIFY-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- In the circumstances described in subparagraph (B), access to a communication shall terminate, and no information obtained or evidence derived from the access concerning any United States person shall be received in evidence or otherwise disclosed in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any court, grand jury, department, office, agency, regulatory body, legislative committee, or other authority of the United States, a State, or political subdivision thereof, and no information concerning any United States person acquired from the access shall subsequently be used or disclosed in any manner by Federal officers or employees without the consent of the person, except with the approval of the Attorney General if the information indicates a threat of death or serious bodily harm to any person, or if a court order is obtained under title I.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) CIRCUMSTANCES- The circumstances described in this subparagraph are circumstances in which--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) as of the date that is 7 days after the date on which access to a communication is initiated under paragraph (2), a court order described in paragraph (2)(C)(i) has not been sought and the document described in paragraph (2)(C)(ii) has not been submitted; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) as of the date that is 7 days after an application for a court order described in paragraph (2)(C)(i) is denied, the document described in paragraph (2)(C)(ii) is not submitted in accordance with paragraph (3).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) EVIDENCE OF A CRIME- Information or communications subject to this subsection may be disseminated for law enforcement purposes if it is evidence that a crime has been, is being, or is about to be committed, if dissemination is made in accordance with section 106(b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(7) PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINATIONS AFTER ACQUISITION-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the FISA Amendments Act of 2009, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for approval procedures for determining, where reasonably practicable, whether a communication acquired under this title is to or from a person reasonably believed to be in the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) REVIEW- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court shall approve the procedures submitted under subparagraph (A) if the procedures are reasonably designed to determine, where reasonably practicable, whether a communication acquired under this title is a communication to or from a person reasonably believed to be located in the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) PROCEDURES DO NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS- If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court concludes that the procedures submitted under subparagraph (A) do not meet the requirements of subparagraph (B), the Court shall enter an order so stating and provide a written statement for the record of the reasons for the determination. The Government may appeal an order under this subparagraph to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) USE OF PROCEDURES- If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approves procedures under this paragraph, the Government shall use the procedures for any communication acquired under this title.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) REVISIONS- The Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, may submit new or amended procedures to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for review under this paragraph.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) RELIABILITY- If the Government obtains new information relating to the reliability of procedures approved under this paragraph or the availability of more reliable procedures, the Attorney General shall submit to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court the information.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Title I Court Order- If the Government obtains a court order under title I relating to a target of an acquisition under this title, the Government may access and disseminate, under the terms of that court order and any applicable minimization requirements, any communications of that target that have been acquired and segregated or specifically designated under subsection (b)(1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Inspector General Audit-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) AUDIT- Not less than once each year, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall complete an audit of the implementation of and compliance with this section. For purposes of an audit under this paragraph, the Inspectors General shall have access to any communications that have been segregated or specifically designated under subsection (b)(1) and any information the use of which has been limited under subsection (b)(5). An audit under this paragraph shall include an accounting of any segregated or specifically designated communications that have been disseminated.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) REPORT- Not later than 30 days after the completion of each audit under paragraph (1), the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall jointly submit to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report containing the results of the audit.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) EXPEDITED SECURITY CLEARANCE- The Director of National Intelligence shall ensure that the process for the investigation and adjudication of an application by an Inspector General or any appropriate staff of an Inspector General for a security clearance necessary for the conduct of the audits under this subsection is conducted as expeditiously as possible.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) Applicability- Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply to any communication acquired under this title on or after the earlier of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) the date that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approves the procedures described in subsection (a)(3) and the procedures described in subsection (b)(7); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) 1 year after the date of enactment of the FISA Amendments Act of 2009.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment- The table of contents in the first section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 708 the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘Sec. 709. Additional safeguards for communications of persons in the United States.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink