[Libs-Or] ALA: House takes lead with strong surveillance reform bills

[Diedre Conkling]

 ALA: House takes lead with strong surveillance reform bills
<http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=3907> October 21st, 2009 |
Category: Civil Liberties, Intellectual Freedom, and
Privacy<http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?cat=10>,
OGR <http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?cat=17>

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=3907

Contact: Jenni Terry <jterry at alawash.org>
Press Officer, ALA Washington Office

Washington, D.C. – The USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845) and
the FISA Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3846), introduced into the House of
Representatives Tuesday, would together systematically reform our national
surveillance laws.

“The Senate Judiciary Committee failed to pass a bill that would restore the
balance between protecting civil liberties and ensuring law enforcement has
the tools it needs to fight terrorism, but leaders in the House have boldly
stepped up to reopen the public debate on these challenging issues and
address the need for reform,” American Library Association (ALA) President
Camila Alire said.

H.R. 3845  and H.R. 3846 were introduced by House Judiciary Committee
Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil
Liberties Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Crime, Terrorism,
and Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA).

H.R. 3845 calls for reform to Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, often referred
to as the library provision, by improving the standard for issuing a Section
215 order, providing recipients of Section 215 orders with the ability to
immediately challenge both the underlying order and any gag order associated
with it, and prohibiting a request for Section 215 records to a library or
bookseller for documentary materials that contain personally identifiable
information concerning a patron.

This bill would also make needed reforms to national security letter (NSL)
policy by ensuring that the FBI can obtain basic information without a court
order while also adding reasonable safeguards, improving the issuance
standard for NSLs, and authorizing meaningful, constitutionally sound
judicial review of NSLs and associated gag orders.

“Libraries have been on the receiving end of both Section 215 orders and
NSLs, and we know reform is needed to these broad, sweeping policies in
order to prevent the abuse of these tools and to protect innocent Americans
from the unwarranted surveillance, collection and retention of their
personal information,” Alire said.
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=3907

-- 
Diedre Conkling
Lincoln County Library District
P.O. Box 2027
Newport, OR  97365
Work phone & fax:  541-265-3066
Work email:  diedre at beachbooks.org
Home email:  diedre08 at gmail.com
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