Bill > SJR22

This Joint Resolution expresses the Alaska State Legislature's strong opposition to the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless collection of telephone call data, arguing it violates the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which protect against unreasonable searches and seizures and guarantee due process. The resolution highlights concerns that this "bulk collection" program, authorized under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, operates secretly through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) and gathers metadata—such as call dates, times, durations, and phone numbers—on nearly all Americans, not just those under specific investigation. It points to a federal court ruling and a report from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board questioning the program's legality and effectiveness in preventing terrorism, and suggests it may violate the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. The legislature urges the federal government to end this program, destroy collected data, and advocates for increased transparency and public advocacy before the FISC, including making FISC opinions public. Furthermore, it requests information from federal officials about surveillance activities and urges the Governor to prevent state assistance to the NSA's mass data collection without a warrant, deeming the program a tyrannical overreach that infringes on liberty and freedom of expression.