To prohibit warrantless access to the communications and other information of United States persons.
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Senate amendment submitted
April 19, 2024
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Senate amendment submitted
April 19, 2024
Senate amendment submitted
April 19, 2024
Senate amendment proposed (on the floor): Amendment SA 1841 proposed by Senator Durbin.
April 19, 2024
Roll call votes on amendments in Senate: Amendment SA 1841 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 42 - 50. Record Vote Number: 148.
April 19, 2024
Senate amendment not agreed to: Amendment SA 1841 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 42 - 50. Record Vote Number: 148.
April 19, 2024
Amendment SA 1841 proposed by Senator Durbin. (consideration: CR S2925-2927) To prohibit warrantless access to the communications and other information of United States persons.
April 19, 2024
Amendment SA 1841 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 42 - 50. Record Vote Number: 148.
April 19, 2024
Votes
1 roll call on this amendment
Text
Submitted
SA 1841. Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Cramer, and Ms. Hirono) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 7888, to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978; as follows: [[Page S2939]] At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. ___. PROHIBITION ON WARRANTLESS ACCESS TO THE COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION OF UNITED STATES PERSONS. (a) Definition.--Section 702(f) is amended in paragraph (5), as so redesignated by section 2(a)(2) of this Act-- (1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following: ``(B) The term `covered query' means a query conducted-- ``(i) using a term associated with a United States person; or ``(ii) for the purpose of finding the information of a United States person.''. (b) Prohibition.--Section 702(f) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1881a(f)) is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraph (5), as redesignated by section 2(a)(1) of this Act, as paragraph (8); (2) in paragraph (1)(A) by inserting ``and the limitations and requirements in paragraph (5)'' after ``Constitution of the United States''; and (3) by inserting after paragraph (4), as added by section 16(a)(1) of this Act, the following: ``(5) Prohibition on warrantless access to the communications and other information of united states persons.-- ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), no officer or employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may access communications content, or information the compelled disclosure of which would require a probable cause warrant if sought for law enforcement purposes inside the United States, acquired under subsection (a) and returned in response to a covered query. ``(B) Exceptions for concurrent authorization, consent, emergency situations, and certain defensive cybersecurity queries.--Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if-- ``(i) the person to whom the query relates is the subject of an order or emergency authorization authorizing electronic surveillance, a physical search, or an acquisition under this section or section 105, section 304, section 703, or section 704 of this Act or a warrant issued pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by a court of competent jurisdiction; ``(ii)(I) the officer or employee accessing the communications content or information has a reasonable belief that-- ``(aa) an emergency exists involving an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm; and ``(bb) in order to prevent or mitigate the threat described in item (aa), the communications content or information must be accessed before authorization described in clause (i) can, with due diligence, be obtained; and ``(II) not later than 14 days after the communications content or information is accessed, a description of the circumstances justifying the accessing of the query results is provided to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the congressional intelligence committees, the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; ``(iii) such person or, if such person is incapable of providing consent, a third party legally authorized to consent on behalf of such person, has provided consent for the access on a case-by-case basis; or ``(iv)(I) the communications content or information is accessed and used for defensive cybersecurity purposes, including the protection of a United States person from cyber-related harms; ``(II) other than for such defensive cybersecurity purposes, no communications content or other information described in subparagraph (A) are accessed or reviewed; and ``(III) the accessing of query results is reported to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. ``(C) Matters relating to emergency queries.-- ``(i) Treatment of denials.--In the event that communications content or information returned in response to a covered query are accessed pursuant to an emergency authorization described in subparagraph (B)(i) and the subsequent application to authorize electronic surveillance, a physical search, or an acquisition pursuant to section 105(e), section 304(e), section 703(d), or section 704(d) of this Act is denied, or in any other case in which communications content or information returned in response to a covered query are accessed in violation of this paragraph-- ``(I) no communications content or information acquired or evidence derived from such access may be used, received in evidence, or otherwise disseminated in any investigation by or in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any court, grand jury, department, office, agency, regulatory body, legislative committee, or other authority of the United States, a State, or political subdivision thereof; and ``(II) no communications content or information acquired or derived from such access may subsequently be used or disclosed in any other manner without the consent of the person to whom the covered query relates, except in the case that the Attorney General approves the use or disclosure of such information in order to prevent the death of or serious bodily harm to any person. ``(ii) Assessment of compliance.--Not less frequently than annually, the Attorney General shall assess compliance with the requirements under clause (i). ``(D) Foreign intelligence purpose.-- ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (ii) of this subparagraph, no officer or employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may conduct a covered query of information acquired under subsection (a) unless the query is reasonably likely to retrieve foreign intelligence information. ``(ii) Exceptions.--An officer or employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may conduct a covered query of information acquired under this section if-- ``(I)(aa) the officer or employee conducting the query has a reasonable belief that an emergency exists involving an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm; and ``(bb) not later than 14 days after the query is conducted, a description of the query is provided to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the congressional intelligence committees, the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; ``(II) the person to whom the query relates or, if such person is incapable of providing consent, a third party legally authorized to consent on behalf of such person, has provided consent for the query on a case-by-case basis; ``(III)(aa) the query is conducted, and the results of the query are used, for defensive cybersecurity purposes, including the protection of a United States person from cyber-related harms; ``(bb) other than for such defensive cybersecurity purposes, no communications content or other information described in subparagraph (A) are accessed or reviewed; and ``(cc) the query is reported to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; or ``(IV) the query is necessary to identify information that must be produced or preserved in connection with a litigation matter or to fulfill discovery obligations in a criminal matter under the laws of the United States or any State thereof. ``(6) Documentation.--No officer or employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may access communications content, or information the compelled disclosure of which would require a probable cause warrant if sought for law enforcement purposes inside the United States, returned in response to a covered query unless an electronic record is created that includes a statement of facts showing that the access is authorized pursuant to an exception specified in paragraph (5)(B). ``(7) Query record system.--The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall ensure that a system, mechanism, or business practice is in place to maintain the records described in paragraph (6). Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall report to Congress on its compliance with this procedure.''. (c) Conforming Amendments.-- (1) Section 603(b)(2) is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``, including pursuant to subsection (f)(2) of such section,''. (2) Section 706(a)(2)(A)(i) is amended by striking ``obtained an order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to access such information pursuant to section 702(f)(2)'' and inserting ``accessed such information in accordance with section 702(f)(5)''. ____________________