summary
Introduced
06/28/2013
06/28/2013
In Committee
07/15/2013
07/15/2013
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2015
01/03/2015
Introduced Session
113th Congress
Bill Summary
FISA Court Accountability Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to require the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to consist of 11 publicly designated district court judges, of whom 3 judges are designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and 2 judges each are designated, respectively, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate. (Currently, the Chief Justice designates all 11 judges.) Requires any authority exercised by the court en banc (consisting of all judges who constitute the court when an en banc proceeding is ordered by a majority of the judges in certain circumstances) to be exercised only when agreed to by at least 60% of the judges sitting en banc. Directs the Chief Justice, the Speaker, and the majority leader of the Senate (or, if the majority leader is a member of the same political party as the Speaker, the minority leader of the Senate) to each publicly designate one judge from the U.S. district courts or courts of appeals who together shall comprise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. (Currently, the Chief Justice designates all three of such judges.) Allows such court to decide in favor of the government only if the decision of the reviewing judges is unanimous. Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) to submit to Congress a copy of any decision, order, or opinion issued by each court (currently, only those issuances with a significant construction or interpretation of FISA) along with an unclassified summary of each such decision, order, or opinion.
AI Summary
This bill, the FISA Court Accountability Act, aims to increase transparency and accountability within the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) by altering how its judges are appointed and how its decisions are handled. Currently, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court appoints all 11 judges to the FISA Court, which oversees requests for electronic surveillance for national security purposes. This bill proposes to diversify these appointments, with the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader each designating two judges, while the Chief Justice would designate three. Furthermore, any major decisions made by the full FISA Court (known as "en banc") would require at least 60% agreement among the judges. The bill also modifies the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which handles appeals, by having the Chief Justice, Speaker of the House, and Senate Majority Leader (or the Senate Minority Leader if the Majority Leader is from the same party as the Speaker) each appoint one judge, and requiring unanimous agreement from these judges for any decision to favor the government. Finally, the Attorney General would be required to submit all FISA Court decisions, orders, and opinions, along with unclassified summaries, to Congress, rather than just those that significantly interpret the FISA law.
Committee Categories
Justice, Military Affairs and Security
Sponsors (12)
Steve Cohen (D)*,
Matt Cartwright (D),
Emanuel Cleaver (D),
John Conyers (D),
Jim Cooper (D),
John Duncan (R),
Keith Ellison (D),
George Miller (D),
Chellie Pingree (D),
Jared Polis (D),
Peter Welch (D),
John Yarmuth (D),
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (on 07/15/2013)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/2586/all-info |
| BillText | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr2586ih/pdf/BILLS-113hr2586ih.pdf |
| Bill | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr2586ih/pdf/BILLS-113hr2586ih.pdf.pdf |
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