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[114th Congress Public Law 126]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

[[Page 281]]

                      JUDICIAL REDRESS ACT OF 2015

[[Page 130 STAT. 282]]

Public Law 114-126
114th Congress

                                 An Act

 
To extend Privacy Act remedies to citizens of certified states, and for 
         other purposes. <<NOTE: Feb. 24, 2016 -  [H.R. 1428]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Judicial Redress 
Act of 2015. 5 USC 552a note.>> 
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

[[Page 130 STAT. 283]]

                    (ii) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  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) <<NOTE: Certification.>>  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) <<NOTE: Determinations.>>  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

[[Page 130 STAT. 284]]

                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) <<NOTE: Publication.>>  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.

[[Page 130 STAT. 285]]

    (j) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

    Approved February 24, 2016.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1428:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 114-294, Pt. 1 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 161 (2015):
                                    Oct. 20, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                                        Vol. 162 (2016):
                                    Feb. 9, considered and passed 
                                        Senate, amended.
                                    Feb. 10, House concurred in Senate 
                                        amendment.

                                  <all>
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