SAFE Act
Latest action · Apr 7, 2004 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3903-3905)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedOct 2, 2003
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Security and Freedom Ensured Act of 2003 (SAFE Act) - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to modify provisions regarding roving wiretaps under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to require that: (1) an order approving an electronic surveillance specify either the identity of the target or the place to be wiretapped; and (2) surveillance be conducted only when the suspect is present at the place to be wiretapped.
Revises provisions governing search warrants authorized under the USA PATRIOT ACT to: (1) limit the authority to delay notice of the issuance of such a search warrant to circumstances where providing immediate notice of the warrant will endanger the life or physical safety of an individual, result in flight from prosecution, or result in the destruction of or tampering with the evidence sought under the warrant; and (2) require such delayed notification to be issued not later than seven days (currently, within a "reasonable period") after execution, with extensions by the court for additional periods of up to seven days each time that the court finds reasonable cause to believe that notice of the execution of the warrant would have such consequences. Requires the Attorney General, every six months, to report to Congress summarizing the requests made by the Department of Justice for delays of notice and extensions of delays. Sunsets the delayed notice authority and reporting requirement on December 31, 2005.
Amends FISA to require, with respect to access by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to business records for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations, that there be specific and articulable facts giving reason to believe that the person to whom the records pertain is a foreign power or an agent thereof.
Provides that libraries shall not be treated as wire or electronic communication service providers under provisions granting counterintelligence access to provider subscriber information, toll billing records information, or electronic communication transactional records.
Cosponsors 19
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 2, 2003 to May 6, 2004; 6 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NM | Jeff Bingaman | Original | Oct 2, 2003 |
| R-NH | John E. Sununu | Original | Oct 2, 2003 |
| R-ID | Mike Crapo | Original | Oct 2, 2003 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Oct 2, 2003 |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Original | Oct 2, 2003 |
| D-WI | Russell D. Feingold | Original | Oct 2, 2003 |
| R-AK | Lisa Murkowski | Oct 15, 2003 | |
| D-MA | John F. Kerry | Nov 11, 2003 | |
| D-WA | Maria Cantwell | Nov 11, 2003 | |
| D-MA | Edward M. Kennedy | Nov 18, 2003 | |
| D-NV | Harry Reid | Nov 25, 2003 | |
| D-AR | Blanche L. Lincoln | Jan 20, 2004 | |
| D-CT | Christopher J. Dodd | Feb 2, 2004 | |
| R-VT | James M. Jeffords | Feb 27, 2004 | |
| D-PA | Arlen Specter | Mar 22, 2004 | |
| D-NJ | Jon S. Corzine | Mar 26, 2004 | |
| D-IA | Tom Harkin | Apr 6, 2004 | |
| D-HI | Daniel K. Akaka | Apr 7, 2004 | |
| D-NJ | Frank R. Lautenberg | May 6, 2004 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Oct 2, 2003 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 7, 2004Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3903-3905)
- Oct 2, 2003Introduced in Senate
- Oct 2, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12384)
- Oct 2, 2003Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12384-12385)
In the Congressional Record 4
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4165 | Richard J. Durbin D-IL | Apr 20, 2004 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S3898–S3907, S3909 | Edward M. Kennedy D-MA, John E. Sununu R-NH, Larry E. Craig R-ID, Richard J. Durbin D-IL, Russell D. Feingold D-WI | Apr 7, 2004 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S12990–S12992 | Russell D. Feingold D-WI | Oct 22, 2003 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S12384–S12387Text printed S12384 | Larry E. Craig R-ID (text), Richard J. Durbin D-IL | Oct 2, 2003 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION116 pages | Judiciary Committee | Aug 23, 2004 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend the USA PATRIOT ACT to place reasonable limitations on the use of surveillance and the issuance of search warrants, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Security and Freedom Ensured Act of 2003
- SAFE Act
- Popular Titles
- Sneak and Peek Search bill
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Arts, Culture, Religion
- Books
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Commerce
- Computers
- Congress
- Congressional oversight
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal investigation
- International Affairs
- Law
- Libraries
- Publishers and publishing
- Right of privacy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Searches and seizures
- Sunset legislation
- Terrorism
- Warrants (Law)
- Wiretapping
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 2, 2003Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.