HR 1847 · 113th Congress 2013–2015, ended

Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act of 2013

Fact sheet

Latest action · Jun 14, 2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

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.

  1. IntroducedMay 7, 2013
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 to prohibit a provider of remote computing service or electronic communication service to the public from knowingly divulging to any governmental entity the contents of any communication that is in electronic storage or otherwise maintained by the provider.

Revises provisions under which the government may require, pursuant to a warrant, the disclosure by such a provider of the contents of such communications. Eliminates the different requirements applicable under current law depending on whether such communications were stored for fewer than, or more than, 180 days. Requires a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after receiving the contents of a customer's communication, or a governmental entity, within 3 days, to provide the customer a copy of the warrant and a notice that such information was requested by, and supplied to, the government entity.

Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of a governmental entity to use an administrative or civil discovery subpoena to: (1) require an originator or recipient of an electronic communication to disclose the contents of such communication to the governmental entity; or (2) require an entity that provides electronic communication services to employees or agents of the entity to disclose the contents of an electronic communication to or from such employee or agent to a governmental entity if the communication is held, stored, or maintained on an electronic communications system owned or operated by the entity.

Authorizes a governmental entity that is: (1) seeking a warrant for the contents of communications to include in the application a request for an order delaying the notification required for up to 180 days, in the case of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity; and (2) obtaining the contents of a communication, or information or records, to apply to a court for an order directing a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service to which a warrant, order, subpoena, or other directive is directed not to notify any other person of the existence of the directive for up to 180 days, in the case of of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity. Provides for extensions.

Requires service providers, after such extension, to provide the government three business days' notice of their intent to inform a customer or subscriber that the provider has disclosed the individual's electronic communications information to the government.

Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress by September 30, 2015, regarding the disclosure by electronic communication service providers of customer communications and records, including an analysis and evaluation of such disclosure under provisions: (1) as in effect before the enactment of this Act, and (2) as amended by this Act.

Cosponsors 24

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 7, 2013 to Jul 31, 2013, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-AZTrent FranksOriginalMay 7, 2013
R-CADuncan HunterMay 8, 2013
R-NEJeff FortenberryMay 8, 2013
R-TXJoe BartonMay 8, 2013
R-CAJohn CampbellMay 8, 2013
R-LAJohn FlemingMay 8, 2013
R-TXPete OlsonMay 8, 2013
R-FLTed S. YohoMay 8, 2013
R-NYMichael G. GrimmMay 14, 2013
R-MNMichele BachmannMay 14, 2013
R-GAPaul C. BrounMay 14, 2013
R-AZPaul A. GosarMay 16, 2013
R-FLRon DeSantisMay 16, 2013
R-OHJim JordanMay 17, 2013
R-TXMichael C. BurgessMay 17, 2013

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jun 14, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
  2. May 7, 2013Introduced in House
  3. May 7, 2013Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Related bills 3

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 607Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act of 2013Related billMay 16, 2013
HR 1852Email Privacy ActRelated billJun 14, 2013
HR 3557REAP Act of 2013Related billJan 9, 2014

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. May 7, 2013Introduced in House

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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.