Surveillance State Repeal Act
Latest action · Sep 13, 2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
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.
- IntroducedJul 24, 2013
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Surveillance State Repeal Act - Repeals the USA PATRIOT Act and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (thereby restoring or reviving provisions amended or repealed by such Acts as if such Acts had not been enacted), except with respect to reports to Congress regarding court orders under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) and the acquisition of intelligence information concerning an entity not substantially composed of U.S. persons that is engaged in the international proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Extends from 7 to 10 years the maximum term of FISA judges. Makes such judges eligible for redesignation.
Permits FISA courts to appoint special masters to advise on technical issues raised during proceedings.
Requires orders approving certain electronic surveillance to direct that, upon request of the applicant, any person or entity must furnish all information, facilities, or technical assistance necessary to accomplish such surveillance in a manner to protect its secrecy and produce a minimum of interference with the services that such carrier, landlord, custodian, or other person is providing the target of such surveillance (thereby retaining the ability to conduct surveillance on such targets regardless of the type of communications methods or devices being used by the subject of the surveillance).
Prohibits information relating to a U.S. person from being acquired pursuant to FISA without a valid warrant based on probable cause.
Prohibits the federal government from requiring manufacturers of electronic devices and related software to build in mechanisms allowing the federal government to bypass encryption or privacy technology.
Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report annually on the federal government's compliance with FISA.
Permits an employee of or contractor to an element of the intelligence community with knowledge of FISA-authorized programs and activities to submit a covered complaint to the Comptroller General, to the House or Senate intelligence committees, or in accordance with a process under the National Security Act of 1947 with respect to reports made to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. Defines a "covered complaint" as a complaint or information concerning FISA-authorized programs and activities that an employee or contractor reasonably believes is evidence of: (1) a violation of any law, rule, or regulation; or (2) gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. Subjects an officer or employee of an element of the intelligence community to administrative sanctions, including termination, for taking retaliatory action against an employee or contractor who seeks to disclose, or who discloses, such information.
Cosponsors 10
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 10, 2013 to Feb 26, 2014.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | Oct 10, 2013 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | Oct 10, 2013 | |
| D-TX | Lloyd Doggett | Oct 10, 2013 | |
| D-MA | Richard E. Neal | Oct 10, 2013 | |
| D-MA | John F. Tierney | Oct 16, 2013 | |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | Oct 23, 2013 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Nov 19, 2013 | |
| D-OR | Earl Blumenauer | Nov 21, 2013 | |
| D-OR | Peter A. DeFazio | Dec 3, 2013 | |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | Feb 26, 2014 |
Committees 8
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Sep 13, 2013 | |
| House | Intelligence (Permanent Select) Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| House | Financial Services Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| Communications and Technology Subcommittee | Referred Jul 26, 2013 | |
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| Workforce Protections Subcommittee | Referred Sep 13, 2013 | |
| House | Transportation and Infrastructure Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
| Aviation Subcommittee | Referred Jul 25, 2013 | |
| Highways and Transit Subcommittee | Referred Jul 25, 2013 | |
| Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee | Referred Jul 25, 2013 | |
| House | Armed Services Committee | Referred Jul 24, 2013 |
Actions 8
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 13, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Sep 13, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
- Jul 26, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
- Jul 25, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
- Jul 25, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Jul 25, 2013Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- Jul 24, 2013Introduced in House
- Jul 24, 2013Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Armed Services, 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 concerned.
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.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H7253.
CRS reports 2
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 2
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R43322 | National Security Letters: Proposals in the 113th Congress | Report | Jan 22, 2015 |
| R43134 | NSA Surveillance Leaks: Background and Issues for Congress Archived | Report | Sep 4, 2013 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To repeal the USA PATRIOT Act and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Surveillance State Repeal Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Administrative remedies
- Computer security and identity theft
- Computers and information technology
- Congressional oversight
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Evidence and witnesses
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- Judges
- Manufacturing
- Public contracts and procurement
- Right of privacy
- Specialized courts
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 24, 2013Introduced in House
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.
