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US HR3195

US HR3195
FISA COURT Act


summary

Introduced
09/26/2013
In Committee
01/09/2014
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2015

Introduced Session

113th Congress

Bill Summary

FISA Court Oversight Underscoring Responsibility and Transparency Act or the FISA COURT 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: 2 judges are designated by the President; 1 judge is designated by a majority 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 a majority of the Supreme Court (currently, the Chief Justice alone) to designate three judges from the U.S. district courts or courts of appeals who shall comprise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Requires the Attorney General (DOJ) to make publicly available: (1) copies of FISA court decisions, orders, pleadings, applications, and memoranda currently submitted to Congress, subject to the authority of the Attorney General to waive such public availability requirements for national security purposes; and (2) a quarterly estimate of the number of waivers along with the reasons for such waivers.

AI Summary

This bill, known as the FISA Court Oversight Underscoring Responsibility and Transparency Act or the FISA COURT Act, proposes significant changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). It aims to diversify the selection of judges who serve on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), the secret court that approves government requests for surveillance, by having the President, a majority of the Supreme Court, and the top leaders in both the House of Representatives and the Senate each designate a portion of the 11 judges, rather than the Chief Justice appointing all of them. Additionally, the bill mandates that a majority of the Supreme Court, instead of just the Chief Justice, will select the three judges for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which hears appeals from the FISC. Furthermore, the Attorney General will be required to make FISA court decisions, orders, and related documents publicly available, though the Attorney General can waive this requirement for national security reasons, and must report quarterly on the number and reasons for any such waivers.

Committee Categories

Justice, Military Affairs and Security

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (on 01/09/2014)

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