The Brennan Center for Justice joined more than 30 good government in letter to House leadership this week urging key clarifications on a compromise surveillance reform bill, which is currently with the House Rules Committee.
Original Title
Letter to House Leadership on USA FREEDOM Act Clarifications
The Brennan Center for Justice joined more than 30 good government in letter to House leadership this week urging key clarifications on a compromise surveillance reform bill, which is currently with the House Rules Committee.
The Brennan Center for Justice joined more than 30 good government in letter to House leadership this week urging key clarifications on a compromise surveillance reform bill, which is currently with the House Rules Committee.
MlnorlLy Leader nancy elosl unlLed SLaLes Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves
Chalrman eLe Sesslons 8anklng Member Loulse SlaughLer CommlLLee on 8ules unlLed SLaLes Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves
Chalrman 8ob CoodlaLLe 8anklng Member !ohn Conyers, !r. CommlLLee on Lhe !udlclary unlLed SLaLes Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves Ma[orlLy Leader Lrlc CanLor MlnorlLy Whlp SLeny Poyer unlLed SLaLes Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves
Chalrman Mlke 8ogers 8anklng Member uuLch 8uppersberger ermanenL SelecL CommlLLee on lnLelllgence unlLed SLaLes Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves
1he Ponorable !ames Sensenbrenner Member unlLed SLaLes Pouse of 8epresenLaLlves
May 14, 2014
We Lhe underslgned supporL endlng Lhe bulk collecLlon of all Lypes of daLa under all legal auLhorlLles, whlle preservlng Lhe requlremenL of prlor courL approval for survelllance under Lhe lorelgn lnLelllgence Survelllance AcL (llSA). We recognlze Lhe subsLanLlal sLep ln Lhls dlrecLlon Lhe Pouse !udlclary CommlLLee and Pouse ermanenL SelecL CommlLLee on lnLelllgence Look ln unanlmously passlng Lhe uSA l8LLuCM AcL (P.8. 3361). 1he blll lncludes several componenLs crlLlcal Lo meanlngful reform, such as a deflnlLlon of speclflc selecLlon Lerm," Lhe declasslflcaLlon of slgnlflcanL lorelgn lnLelllgence Survelllance CourL (llSC) declslons, and auLhorlzaLlon for prlvaLe parLles Lo lssue publlc reporLs of survelllance orders Lhey recelve. We respecLfully urge you Lo oppose efforLs Lo weaken Lhese or oLher provlslons ln Lhls hlsLorlc blll.
Whlle Lhe blll makes slgnlflcanL progress ln endlng bulk collecLlon, we sLrongly belleve LhaL several Lechnlcal correcLlons and clarlflcaLlons Lo Lhe blll are requlred lf Congress ls Lo help ensure LhaL Lhe blll language ls noL mlslnLerpreLed and lLs sLaLed goal of endlng bulk collecLlon ls meL. Accordlngly, we respecLfully urge Lhe Pouse 8ules CommlLLee Lo make Lhe followlng clarlflcaLlons and Lechnlcal correcLlons Lo P.8. 3361, as reporLed, 1 before Lhe blll goes Lo Lhe Pouse lloor:
1) !"#$%&' )* +*),-), +*""-+,%*) .)/-$ 0-+,%*) 123 *& ,4- 56789:7 6+,; 1he blll creaLes a new auLhorlLy for Lhe collecLlon of call deLall records" under Sec. 213 and sLaLes LhaL call deLall records do noL lnclude communlcaLlons conLenL. 2 Powever, Lhe blll ls currenLly sllenL on wheLher oLher Langlble Lhlngs" under Sec. 213 can lnclude communlcaLlons conLenL. 1hls
1 uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as reporLed, 113Lh Cong, May 7, 2014 (avallable aL hLLp://[udlclary.house.gov/_cache/flles/ec687f8f-3b69-43b2-b3f6-bcf234437e7d/flsa-anos-003-xml.pdf). 2 SecLlons 101 and 107 of P.8. 3361, as reporLed.
CenLer for uemocracy & 1echnology 2 could lead Lo an lnLerpreLaLlon LhaL Sec. 213 auLhorlzes Lhe collecLlon of communlcaLlons conLenL, whlch would be a slgnlflcanL expanslon of Lhe use of Sec. 213.
8<!:==<>?679:>; Clarlfy LhaL Sec. 213 cannoL be used Lo collecL Lhe conLenL of communlcaLlons from a provlder of an elecLronlc communlcaLlons servlce or remoLe compuLlng servlce, as Lhose Lerms are deflned by 18 u.S.C. 2310.
2) !"#$%&' )* @-)-$#" A$*BA-+,%C- .B- *& 0-+,%*) 123; 1he blll sLaLes LhaL Lhe governmenL may apply for an order Lo produce call deLall records LhaL are creaLed afLer Lhe governmenL submlLs lLs appllcaLlon Lo Lhe llSC. 3 Powever, Lhe blll ls currenLly sllenL on wheLher Sec. 213 auLhorlzes prospecLlve collecLlon of oLher Langlble Lhlngs. 1hls could lead Lo an lnLerpreLaLlon LhaL Sec. 213 auLhorlzes prospecLlve collecLlon generally, whlch would conLravene Lhe lnLenL of Lhe sLaLuLe. 4
8<!:==<>?679:>; Clarlfy LhaL Sec. 213 cannoL be used Lo collecL records creaLed afLer Lhe order auLhorlzlng collecLlon ls enLered, excepL wlLh regard Lo call deLall records.
3) !"-$%+#" +*$$-+,%*) $-; ?%C%B%*) *& *$/-$B &*$ $-A*$,%)@; 1he blll allows prlvaLe parLles Lo lssue perlodlc publlc reporLs on survelllance demands. 3 1hese reporLs can lnclude Lhe number of accounLs affecLed or cusLomer selecLors LargeLed under each LlLle of llSA. Powever, a clerlcal error prevenLs prlvaLe parLles from reporLlng Lhe number of orders recelved under each LlLle of llSA, lnsLead permlLLlng only a reporL of Lhe number of conLenL and non-conLenL orders recelved.
8<!:==<>?679:>; Amend each subsecLlon auLhorlzlng reporLs of Lhe number of accounLs affecLed or selecLors LargeLed by LlLle of llSA Lo addlLlonally refer Lo Lhe number of orders recelved.
4) !"-$%+#" +*$$-+,%*) $-; ?%B+"*B.$- *& )* $-+-%A, *& *$/-$B; lf a prlvaLe parLy does noL recelve any naLlonal securlLy order, Lhen Lhe parLy would noL vlolaLe confldenLlallLy Lo reporL such. Powever, a clerlcal error ln Lhe blll refers Lo Lhe ranges ln whlch prlvaLe parLles may reporL Lhe number of orders as 0-999, 0-249, and 0-499. 6 1hls could be mlsLakenly read Lo requlre
3 SecLlon 101(a)(3) of P.8. 3361, as reporLed. 4 rlvacy and Clvll LlberLles CverslghL 8oard, 8eporL on Lhe 1elephone 8ecords rogram ConducLed under SecLlon 213 of Lhe uSA A18lC1 AcL and on Lhe CperaLlons of Lhe lorelgn lnLelllgence Survelllance CourL, !an. 23, 2014, pgs. 81-87 (avallable aL hLLp://www.pclob.gov/SlLeAsseLs/ages/defaulL/CLC8-8eporL-on-Lhe- 1elephone-8ecords-rogram.pdf). 3 AmendmenL Lo Lhe amendmenL ln Lhe naLure of a subsLlLuLe Lo P.8. 3361 offered by Ms. uel8ene, Mr. CoodlaLLe, and Mr. Sensenbrenner, May 7, 2014 (avallable aL hLLp://[udlclary.house.gov/_cache/flles/199c1100- 6c33-4031-bf13-8c2b4e93affe/03.07.14-amdL-2-delbene-passed-vv.pdf). 6 !"#
CenLer for uemocracy & 1echnology 3 prlvaLe parLles LhaL do noL recelve a naLlonal securlLy order Lo reporL only LhaL Lhey recelve less Lhan 999, 249, or 499 orders.
8<!:==<>?679:>; Amend Lhe numerlcal ranges for prlvaLe parLy reporLlng of orders recelved Lo 1-999, 1-249, and 1-499. AlLernaLlvely, clarlfy LhaL lf Lhe number of orders recelved ls zero, Lhe prlvaLe parLy may reporL Lhe esLlmaLe as zero. ln Lhe alLernaLlve, or ln addlLlon, lnserL a rule of consLrucLlon maklng clear LhaL Lhe prlvaLe parLy reporLlng secLlon shall noL Lo be consLrued as prohlblLlng dlsclosures oLher Lhan Lhose auLhorlzed by Lhe secLlon. 1hls rule of consLrucLlon appeared Lhe uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced. 7
3) !"-$%+#" +*$$-+,%*) $-; 0,#,-D-), *& &#+,B; 1he new prospecLlve call deLall records auLhorlLy of Sec. 213 uses Lhe word facLs" an exLra Llme, Lhus requlrlng Lhe governmenL's appllcaLlons for call deLall records Lo lnclude a sLaLemenL of facLs showlng LhaL Lhere are facLs glvlng rlse Lo a reasonable, arLlculable susplclon." 8 1hls could be mlsLakenly read Lo requlre Lhe governmenL Lo merely sLaLe LhaL facLs exlsL, raLher Lhan acLually showlng reasonable, arLlculable susplclon ln Lhe appllcaLlon for an order for Lhe producLlon of call deLall records.
8<!:==<>?679:>; ln Lhe blll's proposed verslon of 30 u.S.C. 1861(b)(2)(C)(ll), replace Lhe phrase are facLs glvlng rlse Lo" wlLh Lhe word ls." 9 1o furLher clarlfy LhaL Lhe governmenL musL make a facLual showlng, ln Lhe proposed secLlon 1861(c)(1), change Lhe phrase Lhe appllcaLlon meeLs Lhe requlremenLs of subsecLlons (a) and (b)" Lo Lhe appllcaLlon meeLs Lhe requlremenLs of, and makes Lhe facLual showlngs requlred by, subsecLlons (a) and (b)."
ln addlLlon Lo Lhe above clarlflcaLlons and correcLlons, ln order Lo prevenL fuLure abuses of survelllance auLhorlLy, we also respecLfully requesL LhaL Congress Lake Lhls opporLunlLy Lo make furLher subsLanLlve lmprovemenLs Lo Lhe uSA l8LLuCM AcL prlor Lo lLs flnal passage. 1hese subsLanLlve lmprovemenLs should lnclude, buL are noL llmlLed Lo: 1) 8-&*$D 0-+,%*) EF1 *& G906; 1he uSA l8LLuCM AcL should reasonably llmlL Lhe collecLlon, reLenLlon, and use of communlcaLlons obLalned pursuanL Lo SecLlon 702 of llSA. noLably, SecLlon 702 should be amended Lo requlre prlor courL approval when u.S. person ldenLlflers are used Lo search or analyze communlcaLlons daLa collecLed under
7 uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced, 113Lh Cong, CcL. 29, 2013, aL Sec. 601(e) (avallable aL hLLp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/8lLLS-113hr3361lh/pdf/8lLLS-113hr3361lh.pdf). 8 Sec. 101(a)(3) of P.8. 3361, as reporLed. 9 !"#
CenLer for uemocracy & 1echnology 4 SecLlon 702 - a change lncluded ln Lhe uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced. 10
2) 5$*C%/- &*$ @$-#,-$ ,$#)BA#$-)+' H' A$%C#,- A#$,%-B #)/ @*C-$)D-),; 1he uSA l8LLuCM AcL should allow for robusL reporLlng by prlvaLe parLles and malnLaln sLrong governmenL Lransparency reporLlng requlremenLs. rlvaLe parLles should be permlLLed Lo reporL, wlLhln as narrow a numerlcal range as posslble, Lhe number of survelllance orders recelved and accounLs affecLed under each llSA auLhorlLy, raLher Lhan under separaLe llSA LlLles. lurLher, governmenL reporLlng should separaLely esLlmaLe Lhe number of u.S. and non-u.S. persons sub[ecL Lo survelllance under each llSA auLhorlLy. 1he uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced ln Lhe Pouse and SenaLe, lncluded Lhese reforms. 11
3) !$-#,- # 0A-+%#" 6/C*+#,- &*$ ,4- G90!. 1he uSA l8LLuCM AcL should creaLe an Cfflce of Lhe Speclal AdvocaLe wlLhln Lhe llSC. Whlle Lhe parLlclpaLlon of amlcus curlae auLhorlzed by Lhe blll as amended ln CommlLLee wlll be valuable, Lhe presence of an offlclal Lasked speclflcally wlLh promoLlng prlvacy and clvll llberLles would help effecLlvely prevenL overbroad survelllance ln Lhe fuLure and beLLer ensure LhaL all necessary dlsclosure of lmporLanL llSC oplnlons occurs. 1he uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced, provlded for such a Speclal AdvocaLe. 12
1hank you for your conslderaLlon of Lhe above recommendaLlons. We look forward Lo conLlnulng Lo work wlLh Congress and Lhe AdmlnlsLraLlon Lo advance leglslaLlon and pollcles LhaL preserve Lhe lnLegrlLy of Lhe lnLerneL and Lhe free exerclse of lndlvldual llberLy and human rlghLs. Slncerely,
10 uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced, aL Sec. 301. 11 uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced, aL Sec. 601-3. 12 uSA l8LLuCM AcL, as lnLroduced, aL Sec. 401.
CenLer for uemocracy & 1echnology 5
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