Long title | To reform the authorities of the Federal Government to require the production of certain business records, conduct electronic surveillance, use pen registers and trap and trace devices, and use other forms of information gathering for foreign intelligence, counterterrorism, and criminal purposes, and for other purposes. |
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Acronyms (colloquial) | USA FREEDOM |
Nicknames | Freedom Act |
Enacted by | the 114th United States Congress |
Citations | |
Public law | [http://legislink.org/us/pl-114-23 Pub.L. 114–23] |
Codification | |
Acts amended |
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 USA PATRIOT Act, USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 National Security Act of 1947 Fair Credit Reporting Act |
U.S.C. sections amended | 18 U.S.C. § 2709, 18 U.S.C. § 3511, 15 U.S.C. § 1681u, 50 U.S.C. § 1881a, 12 U.S.C. § 3414, and others. |
Legislative history | |
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The USA Freedom Act (www
The bill was originally introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress on October 29, 2013, following publication of classified NSA memos describing bulk data collection programs leaked by Edward Snowden that June. When it was re-introduced in the 114th Congress (2015–2016), it was described by the bill sponsors as "a balanced approach" while being questioned for extending the Patriot Act through the end of 2019. Supporters of the bill said that the House Intelligence Committee and House leadership would insist on reauthorizing all Patriot Act powers except bulk collection under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Critics assert that mass surveillance of the content of Americans' communication will continue under Section 702 of FISA which does not expire until 2017 and Executive Order 12333 due to the "unstoppable surveillance-industrial complex" despite the fact that a bipartisan majority of the House had previously voted to close backdoor mass surveillance.