In the months since former defense contractor Edward Snowden revealed the mass metadata collection programs run by the National Security Agency, legislators have proposed countless avenues to address growing public concern over the nation's intelligence practices.
Despite the issue taking a backseat to pressing debates over Syria and the budget, a resurgence of comprehensive NSA reform legislation has hit Capitol Hill in recent weeks, suggesting that some kind of congressional response is in the works. The question, experts say, is how strong that response will be. With these 20-plus bills – and more expected in the coming weeks – there's no easy answer. Browse through surveillance legislation introduced so far this year by selecting categories below or click on congress members to see which bills they have sponsored or cosponsored.
Van Hollen/Jordan FISA Court Bill
Still being written
- Creates Office of the Constitutional Advocate in the FISA Court
Still being written
- Could place agressive limitations on span of programs
Leahy/Sensenbrenner Bill
Introduced by Leahy at Senate Judiciary hearing Oct. 2, 2013
- Outlaw bulk domestic metadata collection programs
- "Improve Judiicial review"
- "Enhance public reporting"
- Require Inspector General Reviews of programs, violations
Leahy/Sensenbrenner Bill
House version of proposed bicameral legislation has yet to be introduced.
- Outlaw bulk domestic metadata collection programs
- "Improve Judiicial review"
- "Enhance public reporting"
- Require Inspector General Reviews of programs, violations
Feinstein/Chambliss, Senate Intel Bill
Closed mark-up postponed. Oct. 3, 2013
- Limit access to collected domestic metadata
- Prohibit collection of content of phone calls
- Clarify "reasonable and articulable suspiscion" standard
- Presidential confirmation of NSA Director
- Expand NSA authority to allow 6-day window for surveillance when foreign target enters U.S.
Intelligence Oversight and Surveillance Reform Act of 2013
Unveiled at press conference Sept. 25, 2013
- Forbids bulk collection of Americans' data
- Forbids collection of American data by way of targeting a foreign number
- Limits number of ""hops"" NSA can take from target phone number
- Adds Constitutional Advocate to FISA Court
- Declassification of FISA Court Opinions
- Third party company reports on number of orders from NSA, how many were complied with, and number of users affected
Ensuring Adversarial Process in the FISA Court
Referred to House Judiciary Committee Sept. 20, 2013
- Appoints public interest advocate to FISA court
- Allows non-government groups to submit briefs to FISA Court
Intelligence Oversight and Accountability Act of 2013
Referred to House Judiciary Committee Sept. 16, 2013
- FISA Court opinions to Congress within 45 days of enactment
Surveillance Order Reporting Act of 2013
Referred ti Subcommittee on Homeland Security Sept. 13, 2013
- Quarterly reports on number of demands made by NSA
- Number of demands complied with
- Number of user accounts affected
Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013
Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee Aug. 1, 2013
- Annual unclassified reports from FISA Court and NSA to congress on number of Americans under surveillance, number of Americans' whose data was collected
- Third party company reports on number of orders from NSA, how many were complied with, and number of users affected.
FISA Judge Selection Reform Act
Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. Aug. 1, 2013
- Increases FISA Court to 13 judegs
- Limits tenure to one 7-year term
- Calls for investigation in to FISA Court diversity
- No FISA court judge can hear a case that was denied by previous FISA Court judge
FISA Court Reform Act of 2013
Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. Aug. 1, 2013
- Adds Special Advocate to FISA Court to represent privacy, civil liberties
- Public release of FISA Court decisions since 2003
Privacy Advocate General of 2013
Referred to Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Sept. 15, 2013
- Creates Executive office for Privacy Advocate General, to serve as adversarial voice on FISA Court
Surveillance State Repeal Act
Referred to House Judiciary Committee. July 14, 2013
- Repeals U.S. Patriot Act, FISA Amendments Act that allow for bulk metadata collection programs
- "Special Master" with technological expertise added to court.
- Protections for Gov't workers who want to challenge FISA Court
Presidential Appointment of FISA Court Judges Act
Referred to House Judiciary Committee. Sept. 13, 2013
- Presidential Appointment and Senate confirmation of FISA Court judges
Government Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013
Referred to Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Sept. 13, 2013
- 90-day reports from third party companies on amount of data, type of data, and number of user accounts it was compelled to turn over to the NSA
Telephone Surveillance Accountability Act of 2013
Referred to House Judiciary Committee. july 11, 2013
- Forbids searching through telephony metadata without a warrant
- Requires statement of facts for reasonable, articulable suspiscion to be granted warrant
- Monthly reports from FBI on searches of telephony metadata
Relevancy Act
Referred to Subcommittee on Homeland Security. July 15, 2013
- Limits number of "hops" NSA can take form targeted phone number
FISA Court Accountability Act
Referred to House Judiciary Committee. July 15, 2013
- 3 FISA Court judges appointed by President
- 2 each from each office of congressional leadership
- Each FISA Court decision submitted to Congress
- Each FISA Court decision submitted to Congress
FISA Accountability and Protection Act of 2013
Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. June 24, 2013
- Speeds up expiration of FISA Amendments Act from 2017 to 2015
- Limits number of "hops" NSA can take from target phone number
- Annual unclassified report to congress on NSA programs and effectiveness
Ending Secret Law Act
Referred to Subcommittee on Homeland Security. July 15, 2013
- FISA Court opinions reported to congress within 45 days of enactment
- Prior FISA Court opinions reported to congress within 180 days of law's enactment
FISA Court in the Sunshine Act of 2013
Referred to Subcommittee on Homeland Security. July 15, 2013
- FISA Court opinions reported to congress within 45 days of enactment
- Prior FISA Court opinions reported to congress within 180 days of law's enactment
To Modify FISA...
Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. June 18, 2013
- Increases standard of evidence needed for NSA to collect data
- More stringent procedures to minimize information NSA gives to FBI
LIBERT-E Act
Added to Defense Authorization Bill; Voted down 205 to 217. June 17, 2013
- NSA can only collect data on specific individual, not related persons
- Increases relevance standard
- AG must publicly release FISA Court opinions within 180 days
- FISA court documents available to Congress within 45 days of enactment
Restore Our Privacy Act
Referred to House Judiciary Committee. June 13, 2013
- NSA needs to provide "specific and articulable facts" for each piece of information it wants to query
- Semiannual report from FISA Court on the number of requests for data from third party companies, and status of those requests
Ending Secret Law Act
Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee June 11, 2013
- FISA Court opinions reported to congress within 45 days of enactment
- Prior FISA Court opinions reported to congress within 180 days of law's enactment
Fourth Amendment Restoration Act
Placed on Senate legislative calendar June 10, 2013
- Restricts the NSA or any government agency from collecting phone records without a warrant
Source: McClatchy Washington Bureau
©MCT2013
Graphic: Danny Dougherty
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