releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20140412132150/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-cosponsors-nsa-reform-legislation
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20140412132150/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-cosponsors-nsa-reform-legislation | Shea-Porter Cosponsors NSA Reform Legislation | 2013-12-02 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Democrat | House | NH | Carol Shea-Porter | S001170 | web.archive.org | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ben Wakana, 202-225-5456 WASHINGTON, DC – Continuing her efforts to protect the privacy of Granite Staters, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) has cosponsored the USA FREEDOM Act. The bipartisan legislation would rein in the dragnet collection of data by government agencies and increase transparency, oversight, and accountability for domestic surveillance. “The recent string of stories about the National Security Agency collecting massive amounts of information on law-abiding Americans has been shocking, and this bulk collection of data needs to stop,” Shea-Porter said. “The USA FREEDOM Act would help restore the balance between liberty and security.” Shea-Porter has a long history of protecting Granite Staters’ right to privacy. In 2010 she voted against reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT Act because she believed the scope of the government’s surveillance power was too broad then, and it remains so today. This year, she broke with President Obama and Democratic leaders in supporting the Amash Amendment, which would have required specific, tangible evidence to be presented to the FISA Courts to justify a warrant. She has also cosponsored legislation that would: prohibit the federal government from establishing a firearms registry; prevent law enforcement agencies from storing pictures of people’s license plates; and protect workers from disclosing private information like passwords to employers. The USA FREEDOM Act is endorsed by organizations across the political spectrum including the American Civil Liberties Union, FreedomWorks, Project on Government Oversight, and technology companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo!, Facebook, AOL, Google, LinkedIn, and Mozilla. The comprehensive legislation would end the dragnet surveillance by: Ending bulk collection of Americans’ communications records The USA FREEDOM Act ends bulk collection under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. The bill would require that tangible things sought are relevant to an authorized investigation into international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities and pertain to (1) a foreign power or agent of a foreign power, (2) the activities of a suspected agent of a foreign power who is the subject of an investigation, or (3) an individual in contact with, or known to, a suspected agent of a foreign power. The bill would also strengthen the prohibition on "reverse targeting" of Americans—that is, targeting a foreigner with the goal of obtaining communications involving an American. The bill requires the government to more aggressively filter and discard information about Americans accidentally collected through PRISM and related programs. Reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court The USA FREEDOM Act creates an Office of the Special Advocate (OSA) tasked with promoting privacy interests before the FISA Court’s closed proceedings. The OSA will have the authority to appeal decisions of the FISA Court. It will be staffed by attorneys who are properly cleared to view the classified information considered by the FISA court. The bill creates new and more robust reporting requirements to ensure that Congress is aware of actions by the FISA Court and intelligence community as a whole. The bill would grant the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board subpoena authority to investigate issues related to privacy and national security. Increasing Transparency The USA FREEDOM Act requires the Attorney General to publicly disclose all FISA Court decisions issued after July 10, 2003 that contain a significant construction or interpretation of law. Disclosures must include public documents sufficient to: (1) identify each legal question addressed; (2) generally describe the issues; (3) describe the construction and interpretation of a statute, constitutional provision, or other legal authority; and (4) indicate whether the decision departs from a prior decision. Private companies are currently barred from disclosing basic information about their participation in NSA surveillance programs. Under the bill, Internet and telecom companies would be allowed to publicly report an estimate of (1) the number of FISA orders and national security letters received, (2) the number of such orders and letters complied with, and (3) the number of users or accounts on whom information was demanded under the orders and letters. The bill would also require the government to make new public reports on FISA orders. Specifically, the government would be required to make annual or semiannual public reports estimating the total number of individuals and U.S. persons that were subject to FISA orders authorizing electronic surveillance, pen/trap devices, and access to business records. National Security Letters (NSL) The USA FREEDOM Act adopts a single standard for Section 215 and NSL protection to ensure the Administration doesn’t use different authorities to support bulk collection. The bill adds a sunset date to NSLs requiring that Congress reauthorize the government’s authority, thereby ensuring proper congressional review. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |