Legislation of the 111th Congress (2009-2011)

Bill Number: H. Res. 417

Status: Introduced May 7, 2009, and referred to committees (Judiciary, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence). Referred to House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Sponsor: Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

This bill calls on President Obama to reject and reverse the illegal actions of the Bush-Cheney Administration and to work with Congress to restore a proper balance between the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.

Bill Number: H.R. 104

Status: Introduced in the House on January 6, 2009. Referred to Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Sponsor: Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)

Co-Sponsors: This bill has 50 Co-Sponsors.

The bill would set up a Blue Ribbon Commission to investigate Bush administration policies undertaken using claims of unreviewable war powers, including the suspension of habeas corpus, the NSA warrantless wiretapping program, extraordinary rendition, and so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" and torture.

Bill Number: S. 612

Status: Introduced in the Senate on March 17, 2009. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

Co-Sponsor: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

This bill would require statutory exemptions to the disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act to specifically cite the provision authorizing such exemption.

Bill Number: S. 147, H.R. 374

Status: Introduced in the Senate on January 6, 2009. Referred to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Introduced in the House on January 9, 2009. Referred to House Committee on Armed Services and to the House Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select).

Sponsor: Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA); Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)

Co-Sponsors: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR); Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)

This bill would require the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention center, limit the use of certain inhumane interrogation techniques, prohibit interrogation by contractors, and require that the International Committee of the Red Cross be notified of detainees.

Additional information:

• Feinstein, Wyden Introduce Lawful Interrogation and Detention Act

Bill Number: S. 1285

Status: Passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, referred to the House on June 17, 2009. Referred to House committees (Armed Services and Oversight and Government Reform).

Sponsor: Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Co-Sponsor: Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

This bill would prohibit the disclosure of photos pertaining to the abuse and torture of detainees. This bill would exempt such photos from the Freedom of Information Act.

Additional Information:

• The Defeat of Graham-Lieberman and the Ongoing War on Transparency

Bill Number: H.R. 1215

Status: Introduced February 26, 2009, the bill has been referred to the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law and to the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism.

Sponsor: Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA).

Co-Sponsors: This bill has 63 Co-Sponsors.

This bill, previously introduced in the 110th Congress, aims to ensure that immigrant detainees receive fair and humane treatment while in detention.

According to Rep. Roybal-Allard, "The Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act will ensure that the Department of Homeland Security does not ignore its own detention standards. This bill gives these regulations the force of law, bringing accountability to a system in desperate need of better oversight. Final passage of my legislation would help to ensure that detainees, especially unaccompanied children, are treated humanely, receive access to legal representation and obtain needed medical care."

Bill Number: S. 773

Status: Introduced April 1, 2009, and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sponsor: Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV)

Co-sponsors: Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Evan Bayh (D-IN)

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 would give the President unfettered power to shut down Internet traffic in emergencies or disconnect any critical infrastructure system or network on national security grounds. The bill would grant the Commerce Department the ability to override all privacy laws to access any information about Internet usage in connection with a new role in tracking cybersecurity threats. The bill would also give the government unprecedented control over computer software and Internet services, threatening innovation, freedom and privacy.

Advocates for civil liberties expressed concerns about the bill and have worked to amend the legislation so that the President's existing authorities would not be expanded.

Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) President and CEO Leslie Harris originally said of the bill, “The cybersecurity threat is real, but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy.” Now, the CDT has stated that "dramatic improvements" have been made to the legislation.

Bill Number: H.R. 1617

Status: Passed the House on March 24, 2009. Referred to Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep. Christopher Carney (D-PA)

Co-sponsor: Rep. Bennie Thomas (D-MS)

This bill would create a privacy official for each division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If established by law, these new positions would be responsible for ensuring privacy laws and regulations are followed by DHS.

Bill Number: H.R. 1800

Status: Introduced March 30, 2009, and referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, to the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security and to House Financial Services.

Sponsor: Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)

Co-Sponsors: This bill has 27 Co-Sponsors.

Originally introduced in the 110th Congress, Representative Nadler's bill would establish procedural protections for the use of National Security Letters (NSLs). Some highlights:

• The bill raises the standard for the FBI to obtain NSLs, to include "specific and articulable facts" giving reason to believe that the information or records sought pertain to a foreign power or agent of a foreign power.
• An NSL may not be used in connection with a U.S. person based solely on First Amendment activities.
• An NSL must provide information to the recipient about their rights to judicial review, and procedures for seeking a judge's perusal of the NSL.
• Within 20 days of receiving the NSL, the recipient may file in U.S. district court, an appeal to modify or set aside the NSL.
• The bill requires that all information retrieved about innocent people must be destroyed.
• Semi-annually, the FBI must report to Congress 1) the number of NSLs issued in previous 6 months, 2) a summary of challenges made by recipients, 3) a description of how NSLs have aided investigations and prosecutions.
• FBI field supervisors are still able to issue NSLs.

Bill Number: H.R. 1467

Status: Introduced March 12, 2009. Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Referred to the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Sponsor: Sen. Lamar Smith (R-TX)

Co-Sponsors: This bill has 18 Co-Sponsors.

This bill aims to extend "roving" wiretap powers and government access to library patron records until December 31, 2019, ten years past their scheduled December 31, 2009 sunset. It also aims to expand the reach of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Bill Number: H.R. 2704

Status: Introduced June 4, 2009. Referred to House Committee on Homeland Security. Referred to the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment.

Sponsor: Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)

This bill would shut down the National Applications Office within the Department of Homeland Security. The NAO would provide access to domestic satellite surveillance to unspecified law enforcement and homeland security "users". The office would dramatically expand the abilities of law enforcement and federal agencies to conduct unwarranted domestic surveillance.

Rep. Harman also introduced a related bill, H.R. 2703, which would prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from funding the NAO. Rep. Norman Dicks (D-WA) has co-sponsored H.R. 2703.

Read Rep. Harman's statement on the bill.

Bill Number: H. Res. 383

Status: Introduced April 30, 2009 and referred to House Committee on Rules.

Sponsor: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)

Co-Sponsors: This bill has 6 Co-Sponsors.

This resolution would establish a select committee in the House of Representatives to review national security laws, policies and practices and make recommendations about the effectiveness of past and present U.S. law enforcement, national security, and intelligence activities.

Read the ACLU's press release on the bill.

Bill Number: H. Amdt. 20 to H.R. 1

Status: The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, previously introduced in the 110th Congress, was reintroduced as an amendment to H.R. 1 (the economic stimulus package) on January 28, 2009, by Representatives Todd Platts (R-PA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), it was unanimously accepted. However, it was not included in the Senate version of the bill nor was it included in the final legislation.

This amendment's purpose was to amend title 5, United States Code, clarifying which disclosures of information are protected from prohibited personnel practices and requiring a statement in nondisclosure policies, forms, and agreements to the effect that such policies, forms, and agreements are consistent with certain disclosure protections. It would have had the effect of reversing several court decisions that have limited whistleblowers' rights and protections.