Surveillance reform bill outlined

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An outline circulated to House Judiciary staff provides a sneak preview of a comprehensive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reform bill that ends bulk collection of Americans’ phone records, installs a special advocate at the country’s surveillance court and boosts transparency for both government agencies and online service providers.

The bill is set to be co-sponsored in the House by PATRIOT Act author and current House Judiciary oversight leader Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and House Judiciary ranking member John Conyers (D-MI). Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will co-sponsor the measure in the Senate. The omnibus measure would tie in several reforms that have been floated in the wake of Edward Snowden’s disclosures in early June, according to a rundown of provisions attached to the letter. The portion seeking to end so-called "bulk collection" appears certain to face resistance from some Republicans and some Democrats, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Tech companies will be pleased to see that the bill aims to pour sunlight on federal surveillance activities by allowing online services providers, many of whom are already suing the government, to divulge the number of orders they receive. Additionally, the measure would require new reports from the government on the number of people subject to FISA orders each year as well as the disclosure of significant FISA Court opinions made after July 10, 2003. The comprehensive bill would install an “Office of the Special Advocate” at the FISA Court. Lastly, the measure would grant subpoena authority to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, a group that some privacy hawks have said lacks sufficient power to do its job.


Surveillance reform bill outlined