Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1621
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-10-30
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Business records

Congressional oversight

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Government information and archives

Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media
Latest action: action_date: 2013-10-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-10-30
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013 - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to expand government reporting requirements with respect to surveillance programs under FISA and the USA PATRIOT Act. Permits persons (any individual, including any officer or employee of the federal government, or any group, entity, association, corporation, or foreign power) receiving certain production orders to make public disclosures regarding the categories of orders to which they complied and the total number of users whose information was produced. </p> <p>Directs the Attorney General to report annually to Congress and to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, in an unclassified form to be made available to the public, regarding orders approving electronic surveillance, pen register and trap and trace devices, the production of tangible things (commonly referred to as business records, including books, records, papers, documents, and other items), and the targeting of persons outside the United States other than U.S. persons.</p> <p>Sets forth the details to be included in various reports, including: </p> <ul> <li>the total number of applications made for orders and number of such orders granted, modified, or denied; </li> <li>good faith estimates of the total number of individual persons (any individuals, excluding any group, entity, association, corporation, or governmental entity) whose tangible things or electronic or wire communications information were obtained or produced;</li> <li> good faith estimates of the total number of U.S. persons (U.S. citizens or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence) whose information was obtained and the number of such persons whose information was subsequently reviewed or accessed by a federal officer, employee, or agent;</li> <li>the total number of computer-assisted search queries initiated by the federal government in certain databases under specified orders and the number of such queries whose search terms included information from a U.S. person; and </li> <li>the number of subscribers or customers of an electronic communication service or remote computing service whose tangible records were produced and the number of such persons whose records were subsequently reviewed by the federal government.</li> </ul> <p> Requires certain totals, when the total number is fewer than 500, to be expressed as a numerical range of &quot;fewer than 500&quot; instead of as an individual number.</p> <p>Directs the Attorney General to submit an annual certification confirming that in the course of the preceding year no orders entered for the production of tangible things were used to obtain the contents of an electronic or wire communication.</p> <p>Prohibits this Act from being construed to authorize: (1) the collection of any additional information, other than demographic data to comply with reporting requirements; or (2) additional appropriations. </p> <p>Permits persons and other entities receiving specified production orders to disclose to the public, every six months: (1) the total number of orders received and the percentage or total number of orders with which they complied; (2) the total number of individual persons, users, or accounts whose information of any kind was produced to the government or was obtained or collected by the government; and (3) with respect to specified categories of orders, the total number of individual persons, users, or accounts for whom the contents or records of electronic or wire communications, including certain subscriber records of remote computing services, were produced to the government or were obtained or collected by the government.</p> <p>Provides immunity from court actions to such persons and entities making voluntary disclosures under this Act. </p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1621 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 30, 2013 Mr. Franken (for himself and Mr. Heller ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To enhance transparency for certain surveillance programs authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013 . 2. Enhanced public reporting for orders under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (a) Enhanced reporting for electronic surveillance orders Section 107 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ( 50 U.S.C. 1807 ) is amended to read as follows: 107. Report of electronic surveillance (a) In general In April of each year, the Attorney General shall transmit to the Administrative Office of the United States Court and to Congress a report setting forth with respect to the preceding calendar year— (1) the total number of applications made for orders and extensions of orders approving electronic surveillance under this title; (2) the total number of such orders and extensions either granted, modified, or denied; (3) the total number of individuals who were subject to electronic surveillance conducted under an order entered under this title, provided that if this number is fewer than 500, it shall exclusively be expressed as a numerical range of fewer than 500 and shall not be expressed as an individual number; and (4) the total number of citizens of the United States and aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20) )) who were subject to electronic surveillance conducted under an order entered under this title, provided that if this number is fewer than 500, it shall exclusively be expressed as a numerical range of fewer than 500 and shall not be expressed as an individual number. (b) Form of report Each report required by this section shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall be made available to the public 7 days after the date such report is submitted to Congress. . (b) Enhanced reporting for pen registers and trap and trace devices Section 406 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ( 50 U.S.C. 1846 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) Annual report on use of pen register and trap and trace devices (1) Requirement for report Except as provided in paragraph (2), in April of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report setting forth with respect to the preceding year— (A) the total number of applications made for orders approving the use of a pen register and trap and trace devices under this title; (B) the total number of such orders either granted, modified, or denied; (C) a good faith estimate of the total number of individual persons whose electronic or wire communications information was obtained through the use of pen register or trap and trace devices authorized under an order entered under this title; (D) good faith estimates of the total numbers of United States persons— (i) whose electronic or wire communications information was obtained through the use of pen register or trap and trace devices authorized under an order entered under this title; (ii) whose electronic communications information was obtained through the use of pen register or trap and trace devices authorized under an order entered under this title, and the number of such persons whose information was subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; and (iii) whose wire communications information was obtained through the use of pen register or trap and trace devices authorized under an order entered under this title, and the number of such persons whose information was subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; and (E) the total number of computer-assisted search queries initiated by a Federal officer, employee, or agent in any database of electronic or wire communications information obtained through the use of a pen register or trap and trace device authorized under an order entered under this title, and the number of such queries whose search terms included information from the electronic or wire communications information of a United States person. (2) Statement of numerical range If an estimate specified in subparagraphs (C) or (D) of paragraph (1) is fewer than 500, it shall exclusively be expressed as a numerical range of fewer than 500 and shall not be expressed as an individual number. (3) Form of report Each report under this section shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall be made available to the public 7 days after the date such report is submitted to Congress. (4) Construction Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize or in any other way affect the lawfulness or unlawfulness of installing or using a pen register or trap and trace device. (5) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Electronic communication and wire communication The terms electronic communication and wire communication have the meanings given those terms in section 2510 of title 18, United States Code. (B) Individual person The term individual person means any individual and excludes any group, entity, association, corporation, or governmental entity. (C) United States person The term United States person means a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20))). . (c) Enhanced reporting for business records requests Section 502 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ( 50 U.S.C. 1862 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)(3), by adding at the end the following: (F) Records concerning electronic communications. (G) Records concerning wire communications. (H) Information described in subparagraph (A), (B), (D), (E), or (F) of section 2703(c)(2) of title 18, United States Code. ; and (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows: (c) Annual report on section 501 orders (1) Requirement for report Except as provided in paragraph (2), in April of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report setting forth with respect to the preceding year— (A) the total number of applications made for orders approving requests for the production of tangible things under section 501; (B) the total number of such orders either granted, modified, or denied; (C) a good faith estimate of the total number of individual persons whose tangible things were produced under an order entered under section 501; (D) good faith estimates of the total numbers of United States persons— (i) whose tangible things were produced under an order entered under section 501; (ii) who were a party to an electronic communication of which a record was produced under an order entered under section 501, and the number of such persons whose records were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; (iii) who were a party to a wire communication of which a record was produced under an order entered under section 501, and the number of such persons whose records were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; and (iv) who were subscribers or customers of an electronic communication service or remote computing service and whose records, as described in subparagraph (A), (B), (D), (E), or (F) of section 2703(c)(2) of title 18, United States Code, were produced under an order entered under section 501, and the number of such persons whose records were subsequently reviewed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; (E) the total number of computer-assisted search queries initiated by a Federal officer, employee or agent in any database of tangible things produced under an order entered under section 501, and the number of such queries whose search terms included information from the electronic or wire communications contents or records of a United States person; and (F) a certification confirming that in the course of the preceding year no orders entered under section 501 were used to obtain the contents of an electronic or wire communication. (2) Statement of numerical range If an estimate described in subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (1) is fewer than 500, it shall exclusively be expressed as a numerical range of fewer than 500 and shall not be expressed as an individual number. (3) Form of report Each report under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall be made available to the public 7 days after the date such report is submitted to Congress. (4) Construction Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize or in any other way affect the lawfulness or unlawfulness of using an order for the production of tangible things under section 501 to obtain any of the items described in subparagraphs (A) through (H) of subsection (b)(3). (5) Definitions In this subsection: (A) In general The terms contents , electronic communication , electronic communication service , and wire communication shall have the meanings given those terms in section 2510 of title 18, United States Code. (B) Individual person The term individual person means any individual and excludes any group, entity, association, corporation, or governmental entity. (C) Remote computing service The term remote computing service has the meaning given that term in section 2711 of title 18, United States Code. (D) United States person The term United States person means a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20))). . (d) Enhanced reporting for additional procedures regarding certain persons outside the United States Section 707 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ( 50 U.S.C. 1881f ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) Annual report (1) Requirement for report In April of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report setting forth with respect to the preceding year— (A) the total number of— (i) directives issued under section 702; (ii) orders granted under section 703; and (iii) orders granted under section 704; (B) good faith estimates of the total numbers of individual persons whose electronic or wire communications or communications records were collected pursuant to— (i) a directive issued under section 702; (ii) an order granted under section 703; and (iii) an order granted under section 704; and (C) good faith estimates of the total numbers of United States persons— (i) whose electronic or wire communications contents or records were collected pursuant to— (I) a directive issued under section 702; (II) an order granted under section 703; and (III) an order granted under section 704; (ii) who were a party to an electronic communication whose contents were collected pursuant to a directive issued under section 702, and the number of such persons whose communication contents were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; (iii) who were a party to an electronic communication whose records (other than content) were collected pursuant to a directive issued under section 702, and the number of such persons whose communication records were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; (iv) who were a party to a wire communication whose contents were collected pursuant to a directive issued under section 702, and the number of such persons whose communication contents were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; (v) who were a party to a electronic communication whose records (other than content) were collected pursuant to a directive issued under section 702, and the number of such persons whose communication records were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent; and (vi) who were subscribers or customers of an electronic communication service or remote computing service whose records, as described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), (E), and (F) of section 2703(c)(2) of title 18, United States Code, were produced pursuant to a directive issued under section 702, and the number of such persons whose records were subsequently reviewed or accessed by a Federal officer, employee, or agent. (2) Statement of numerical range If an estimate specified in subparagraphs (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) is fewer than 500, it shall exclusively be expressed as a numerical range of fewer than 500 and shall not be expressed as an individual number. (3) Public availability Each report under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall be made available to the public 7 days after the date such report is submitted to Congress. (4) Definitions In this subsection: (A) In general The terms contents , electronic communication , electronic communication service , and wire communication have the same meanings given those terms in section 2510 of title 18, United States Code. (B) Individual person The term individual person means any individual and excludes any group, entity, association, corporation, or governmental entity. (C) Remote computing service The term remote computing service shall have the same meaning given that term in section 2711 of title 18, United States Code. (D) United States person The term United States person means a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20))). (5) Construction Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize or in any other way affect the lawfulness or unlawfulness of using an order or directive under section 702, 703, or 704 to collect any of the information described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1). . (e) Rules of construction Nothing in this section or the amendments made by this section shall be construed— (1) to authorize the collection of any additional information, other than public demographic data, for the purpose of complying with the reporting requirements of this section; or (2) to authorize an amount of additional appropriations to carry out this section that is more than the amount authorized for that purpose for fiscal year 2013. 3. Public disclosures of aggregate information related to orders under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (a) Disclosures The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ( 50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: IX Public disclosures of aggregate information 901. Public disclosures of aggregate information (a) In general Except as provided under subsection (c), a person that has received an order under section 105, 402, or 501, or an order or a directive under section 702, 703, or 704 may, every six months with respect to the preceding six month period, disclose to the public information with respect to each statutory authority as follows: (1) The total number of orders or directives received under the authority. (2) The percentage or total number of such orders or directives complied with, in whole or in part. (3) The total number of individual persons, users, or accounts whose information of any kind was produced to the Government, or was obtained or collected by the Government, under an order or directive received under the authority. (b) Nature of production Except as provided under subsection (c), a person that has received an order under section 402 or 501, or an order or a directive under section 702 may, every six months with respect to the preceding six month period, disclose to the public the total number of individual persons, users, or accounts for whom the following information was produced to the Government, or was obtained or collected by the Government, with respect to each such authority, if applicable: (1) The contents of electronic communications. (2) The contents of wire communications. (3) Records concerning electronic communications. (4) Records concerning wire communications. (5) Information described in subparagraph (A), (B), (D), (E), or (F) of section 2703(c)(2) of title 18. (c) Statement of numerical range If the total number of individual persons, users, or accounts specified in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) or in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subsection (b) is fewer than 500, it shall exclusively be expressed as a numerical range of fewer than 500 and shall not be expressed as an individual number. (d) Permitted disclosure No cause of action shall lie in any court against any person for making a disclosure in accordance with this section. (e) Construction Nothing in this section shall be construed— (1) to authorize or in any other way affect the lawfulness or unlawfulness of using an order or directive described in subsection (a) to obtain, collect, or secure the production of information described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subsection (b); or (2) to prohibit, implicitly preclude, or in any other way affect the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a disclosure not authorized by this section. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) In general The terms contents , electronic communication , and wire communication have the meanings given those terms in section 2510 of title 18, United States Code. (2) Individual person The term individual person means any individual and excludes any group, entity, association, corporation, or governmental entity. (3) Person The term person has the meaning given that term in section 101. . (b) Conforming amendments The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is amended— (1) in section 402(d)(2)(B)(ii)(I) ( 50 U.S.C. 1842(d)(2)(B)(ii)(I) ), by inserting except as permitted by section 901, before shall not disclose ; and (2) in section 501(d) ( 50 U.S.C. 1861(d) )— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking or at the end; (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon and or ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: (D) the public as permitted by section 901. ; and (B) in paragraph (2)(A) by inserting subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of after pursuant to . (c) Table of contents amendment The table of contents in the first section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ( 50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: TITLE IX—Public disclosures of aggregate information Sec. 901. Public disclosures of aggregate information. .