S. 3420 · 116th Congress
USA FREEDOM Extension and Amici Curiae Reform Act of 2020
Key: what the circles and colors mean
Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:
Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.
Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.
Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
LeahySponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill expands the role and authority of amici curiae (outside parties appointed to assist courts in deciding certain cases) in proceedings before courts established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA).
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 9, 2020
USA FREEDOM Extension and Amici Curiae Reform Act of 2020
This bill expands the role and authority of amici curiae (outside parties appointed to assist courts in deciding certain cases) in proceedings before courts established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). The bill also extends certain FISA-authorized investigative powers, including the power to access certain business records for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations, to June 19, 2020.
The bill expands the circumstances under which a FISA court shall appoint an amicus, such as when a case involves (1) a significant First Amendment issue, or (2) a request for approval of a new program or technology. Currently, the statute directs a FISA court to appoint an amicus only when a case involves a novel or significant interpretation of the law.
Under the bill, an amicus may (1) raise any issue at any time even if the court did not request assistance on that issue, (2) access un-redacted copies of relevant FISA court documents and related information, and (3) petition the FISA Court of Review or the Supreme Court to review a decision by a FISA-authorized court.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: USA FREEDOM Extension and Amici Curiae Reform Act of 2020
Latest action (Mar 9, 2020): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 9, 2020
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.