Judicial Redress Act of 2015

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since&nbsp;it was reported to the Senate on February 1, 2016. &nbsp; Judicial Redress Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to designate foreign countries or regional economic integration organizations whose natural citizens may bring civil actions under the Privacy Act of 1974 against certain U.S. government agencies for purposes of accessing, amending, or redressing unlawful disclosures of records transferred from a foreign country to the United States to prevent, investigate, detect, or prosecute criminal offenses.  The citizens of such countries or organizations may bring a civil action against: (1) U.S. agencies that intentionally or willfully violate conditions for disclosing records without the consent of the individual to whom the record pertains; and (2) U.S. agencies designated by DOJ, with the concurrence of the agency, that refuse an individual's request to review or amend his or her records. DOJ, with the concurrence of the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security, may designate countries or organizations whose citizens may pursue such civil remedies if the person's country or organization: (1) has appropriate privacy protections for sharing information with the United States, as provided for in an agreement with the United States or as determined by DOJ; (2) permits the transfer of personal data for commercial purposes between its territory and the United States; and (3) has DOJ-certified data transfer policies that do not impede U.S. national security interests.  A country's designation may be revoked if it: (1) is not complying with a privacy protection agreement, (2) no longer has appropriate privacy protections for sharing information, (3) fails to meet requirements for transfers of personal data for commercial purposes, (4) no longer meets the DOJ's transfer policy certification requirements, or (5) impedes the transfer of information to the United States (for purposes of reporting or preventing unlawful activity) by a private entity or person.  DOJ's designations are exempt from judicial or administrative review.  The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is granted exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising under this Act. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Judicial Redress Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PRIVACY ACT REMEDIES TO CITIZENS OF DESIGNATED 
COUNTRIES.
    (a) Civil Action; Civil Remedies.--With respect to covered records, 
a covered person may bring a civil action against an agency and obtain 
civil remedies, in the same manner, to the same extent, and subject to 
the same limitations, including exemptions and exceptions, as an 
individual may bring and obtain with respect to records under--
        (1) section 552a(g)(1)(D) of title 5, United States Code, but 
    only with respect to disclosures intentionally or willfully made in 
    violation of section 552a(b) of such title; and
        (2) subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 552a(g)(1) of title 5, 
    United States Code, but such an action may only be brought against 
    a designated Federal agency or component.
    (b) Exclusive Remedies.--The remedies set forth in subsection (a) 
are the exclusive remedies available to a covered person under this 
section.
    (c) Application of the Privacy Act With Respect to a Covered 
Person.--For purposes of a civil action described in subsection (a), a 
covered person shall have the same rights, and be subject to the same 
limitations, including exemptions and exceptions, as an individual has 
and is subject to under section 552a of title 5, United States Code, 
when pursuing the civil remedies described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (a).
    (d) Designation of Covered Country.--
        (1) In general.--The Attorney General may, with the concurrence 
    of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the 
    Secretary of Homeland Security, designate a foreign country or 
    regional economic integration organization, or member country of 
    such organization, as a ``covered country'' for purposes of this 
    section if--
            (A)(i) the country or regional economic integration 
        organization, or member country of such organization, has 
        entered into an agreement with the United States that provides 
        for appropriate privacy protections for information shared for 
        the purpose of preventing, investigating, detecting, or 
        prosecuting criminal offenses; or
            (ii) the Attorney General has determined that the country 
        or regional economic integration organization, or member 
        country of such organization, has effectively shared 
        information with the United States for the purpose of 
        preventing, investigating, detecting, or prosecuting criminal 
        offenses and has appropriate privacy protections for such 
        shared information;
            (B) the country or regional economic integration 
        organization, or member country of such organization, permits 
        the transfer of personal data for commercial purposes between 
        the territory of that country or regional economic organization 
        and the territory of the United States, through an agreement 
        with the United States or otherwise; and
            (C) the Attorney General has certified that the policies 
        regarding the transfer of personal data for commercial purposes 
        and related actions of the country or regional economic 
        integration organization, or member country of such 
        organization, do not materially impede the national security 
        interests of the United States.
        (2) Removal of designation.--The Attorney General may, with the 
    concurrence of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the 
    Treasury, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, revoke the 
    designation of a foreign country or regional economic integration 
    organization, or member country of such organization, as a 
    ``covered country'' if the Attorney General determines that such 
    designated ``covered country''--
            (A) is not complying with the agreement described under 
        paragraph (1)(A)(i);
            (B) no longer meets the requirements for designation under 
        paragraph (1)(A)(ii);
            (C) fails to meet the requirements under paragraph (1)(B);
            (D) no longer meets the requirements for certification 
        under paragraph (1)(C); or
            (E) impedes the transfer of information (for purposes of 
        reporting or preventing unlawful activity) to the United States 
        by a private entity or person.
    (e) Designation of Designated Federal Agency or Component.--
        (1) In general.--The Attorney General shall determine whether 
    an agency or component thereof is a ``designated Federal agency or 
    component'' for purposes of this section. The Attorney General 
    shall not designate any agency or component thereof other than the 
    Department of Justice or a component of the Department of Justice 
    without the concurrence of the head of the relevant agency, or of 
    the agency to which the component belongs.
        (2) Requirements for designation.--The Attorney General may 
    determine that an agency or component of an agency is a 
    ``designated Federal agency or component'' for purposes of this 
    section, if--
            (A) the Attorney General determines that information 
        exchanged by such agency with a covered country is within the 
        scope of an agreement referred to in subsection (d)(1)(A); or
            (B) with respect to a country or regional economic 
        integration organization, or member country of such 
        organization, that has been designated as a ``covered country'' 
        under subsection (d)(1)(B), the Attorney General determines 
        that designating such agency or component thereof is in the law 
        enforcement interests of the United States.
    (f) Federal Register Requirement; Nonreviewable Determination.--The 
Attorney General shall publish each determination made under 
subsections (d) and (e). Such determination shall not be subject to 
judicial or administrative review.
    (g) Jurisdiction.--The United States District Court for the 
District of Columbia shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim 
arising under this section.
    (h) Definitions.--In this Act:
        (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
    term in section 552(f) of title 5, United States Code.
        (2) Covered country.--The term ``covered country'' means a 
    country or regional economic integration organization, or member 
    country of such organization, designated in accordance with 
    subsection (d).
        (3) Covered person.--The term ``covered person'' means a 
    natural person (other than an individual) who is a citizen of a 
    covered country.
        (4) Covered record.--The term ``covered record'' has the same 
    meaning for a covered person as a record has for an individual 
    under section 552a of title 5, United States Code, once the covered 
    record is transferred--
            (A) by a public authority of, or private entity within, a 
        country or regional economic organization, or member country of 
        such organization, which at the time the record is transferred 
        is a covered country; and
            (B) to a designated Federal agency or component for 
        purposes of preventing, investigating, detecting, or 
        prosecuting criminal offenses.
        (5) Designated federal agency or component.--The term 
    ``designated Federal agency or component'' means a Federal agency 
    or component of an agency designated in accordance with subsection 
    (e).
        (6) Individual.--The term ``individual'' has the meaning given 
    that term in section 552a(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code.
    (i) Preservation of Privileges.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to waive any applicable privilege or require the disclosure 
of classified information. Upon an agency's request, the district court 
shall review in camera and ex parte any submission by the agency in 
connection with this subsection.
    (j) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.