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National
Key Vote
PATRIOT Act Reauthorization
Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to adopt a conference report that extends the authority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct "roving wiretaps" and access certain business records through December 31, 2009, and makes the remaining 14 provisions of the Patriot Act permanent.
Highlights:
-Assigns three judges near the District of Columbia to hear individuals' petitions concerning improper requests by the FBI for library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, book customer lists, records of fire arm sales, tax return records, educational records and medical records (Sec. 106)
-Requires the Attorney General to report to the Committees on the Judiciary and the Select Committees on Intelligence in both chambers of Congress every year with the number of library, tax, and business records orders that are granted, modified, or denied (Sec. 106)
-Increases the amount of time before a suspect must be notified of a search warrant for his or her property to 30 days after a search, unless the time period is extended by a judge (Sec. 114)
-Allows Internet service providers to disclose their subscribers information and the contents of their communications to a government entity, if they believe there is "immediate danger of death or serious physical injury" (Sec. 107)
-Requires that any court that allows a "roving wiretap" under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) must describe in great detail the intended target whose identity is not known (Sec. 108)
-Allows individuals and businesses to seek legal counsel if they have received a National Security Letter from the FBI to disclose their financial information and records (Sec. 115)
-Sets the penalty of five years in prison, a fine or both for a lawyer or individual who discloses any information concerning his or her or another individual's National Security Letter (Sec. 117)
-Clarifies that a convicted terrorist can be subject to the death penalty (Sec. 211)
-Requires the specifics of all transfers of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine through shipping to a private individual to be reported within a 30 day period (Sec. 716)
-Increases the punishment for any individual that manufactures or distributes methamphetamine in the presence of minors (Sec. 734)
Link to Legislation: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:hr3199:
House Motion Vote: 07/21/2005 : Motion Rejected: 209 - 218 (Roll no. 413)
NOTE: THIS IS A MOTION TO RECOMMIT THIS LEGISLATION TO A COMMITTEE WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR AMENDMENTS. IF THE AMENDMENTS ARE ADOPTED, THE LEGISLATION GOES BACK TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE. House Passage: 07/21/2005 : Bill Passed: 257 - 171 (Roll no. 414)
NOTE: THIS IS A SUBSTITUTE BILL, MEANING THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORIGINAL BILL HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE SUBSTITUTE BILL TEXT DIFFERS FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE TEXT CAN VARY GREATLY. Senate Passage With Amendment: 07/29/2005 : Bill Passed
NOTE: THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT, MEANING NO MEMBER OBJECTED TO THE PASSAGE OF THE LEGISLATION. THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY INDICATE THAT ALL MEMBERS FAVORED THE LEGISLATION. House Conference Report Vote: 12/14/2005 : Conference Report Adopted: 251 - 174 (Roll no. 627) Senate Cloture Vote: 12/16/2005 : Cloture Not Invoked: 52 - 47 (Record Vote Number 358)
NOTE: INVOKING CLOTURE REQUIRES A THREE-FIFTHS MAJORITY OF THE SENATE. IT IS NOT A VOTE ON THE PASSAGE OF THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, BUT RATHER LIMITS FURTHER DEBATE TO 30 HOURS. CLOTURE IS TYPICALLY USED TO END A FILIBUSTER. A FAILED CLOTURE VOTE OFTEN PREVENTS THE LEGISLATION FROM EVER COMING TO A VOTE. Senate Conference Report Vote: 03/02/2006 : Conference Report Adopted 89 - 10 (Record Vote Number 29) President Passage: 03/09/2006 : Signed Became Public Law Number 109-177
Sponsor: Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James Jr. (R-WI)
PVS provides summaries for each version of the bill selected as a key vote. The summary does not necessarily reflect the final version of the bill. For further status information, call the Voter's Research Hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART (1-888-868-3762).
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