S 237 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

GPS Act

Fact sheet

Latest action · Jan 22, 2015 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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. IntroducedJan 22, 2015
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Geolocational Privacy and Surveillance Act or the GPS Act

Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit intentionally: (1) intercepting geolocation information pertaining to another person; (2) disclosing to any other person such information pertaining to another, knowing that the information was obtained in violation of this Act; (3) using geolocation information, knowing that the information was obtained in violation of this Act; or (4) disclosing to any other person the geolocation information pertaining to another person intercepted by means authorized under this Act, knowing that the information was obtained in connection with a criminal investigation, having obtained or received information in connection with a criminal investigation, with intent to improperly obstruct, impede, or interfere with a duly authorized criminal investigation. Sets penalties for violations.

Makes specified exceptions for interceptions involving: (1) information acquired by a provider of a covered service (electronic communication service, remote computing service, or geolocation information service) in the normal course of business; (2) federal officers, employees, or agents conducting foreign intelligence surveillance; (3) persons having given prior consent; (4) public information; (5) emergency information; (6) theft; and (7) a warrant.

Prohibits: (1) a person providing a covered service from intentionally divulging geolocation information pertaining to another person, with exceptions; and (2) the use of such information, and evidence derived from it, as evidence. Authorizes: (1) the use of geolocation information by investigative or law enforcement officers, or by a state's principal prosecuting attorney, to intercept such information under specified emergency circumstances; and (2) the recovery of civil damages by any person whose geolocation information is intercepted, disclosed, or intentionally used in violation of this Act.

Modifies the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to require a search warrant to acquire geolocation information.

Amends the federal criminal code to include any geolocation information service within the definition of a "covered entity" for purposes of provisions prohibiting obtaining confidential phone records information from such an entity by fraud or related activity.

Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of fraud and related activity in connection with obtaining certain confidential phone records information.

Prohibits acquiring geolocation information of a person for protective activities or law enforcement or intelligence purposes except pursuant to a warrant issued under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Cosponsors 2

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 22, 2015 to Nov 18, 2015, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-ILMark KirkOriginalJan 22, 2015
D-ILRichard J. DurbinNov 18, 2015

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 22, 2015Introduced in Senate
  2. Jan 22, 2015Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Related bills 2

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

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 491GPS ActRelated billFeb 19, 2015
HR 656Online Communications and Geolocation Protection ActRelated billMar 17, 2015

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 22, 2015Introduced in Senate

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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.