Bill > S1551

This bill, titled the "Intelligence Oversight and Surveillance Reform Act," aims to update and strengthen privacy protections and oversight mechanisms related to government information-gathering authorities used for foreign intelligence, counterterrorism, and criminal investigations. Key provisions include enhancing privacy protections for business records obtained under Section 215 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), establishing emergency access procedures for call data records, and introducing stricter privacy safeguards for the use of pen registers and trap and trace devices, which are tools used to collect metadata about communications. The bill also clarifies rules for targeting individuals outside the U.S. and prohibits certain types of surveillance on U.S. persons, while also allowing for challenges to government surveillance. A significant reform involves the creation of an Office of the Constitutional Advocate to represent individual rights before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) and related bodies, with expanded advocacy and appeal rights. Furthermore, the bill reforms National Security Letter (NSL) authorities, which are administrative subpoenas used to obtain certain records, by requiring more specific justifications and improving public reporting on their use. Finally, it mandates increased public reporting on FISA orders and NSLs, allowing electronic service providers to disclose aggregated information about government requests they receive, and requires the government to make certain FISA Court decisions publicly available.