Patriot Act

USA PATRIOT Act
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titlesUniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001
Long titleAn Act to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and across the globe, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)USA PATRIOT Act
NicknamesPatriot Act
Enacted bythe 107th United States Congress
EffectiveOctober 26, 2001
Citations
Public lawPub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 107–56 (text) (PDF)
Statutes at Large115 Stat. 272
Codification
Acts amendedElectronic Communications Privacy Act
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Money Laundering Control Act
Bank Secrecy Act
Right to Financial Privacy Act
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
Victims of Crime Act of 1984
Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act
Titles amended8, 12, 15, 18, 20, 31, 42, 47, 49, 50
U.S.C. sections created18 USC § 2712, 31 USC § 5318A, 15 USC § 1681v, 8 USC § 1226A, 18 USC § 1993, 18 USC § 2339, 18 USC § 175b, 50 USC § 403-5b, 51 USC § 5103a
U.S.C. sections amended8 USC § 1105, 8 USC § 1182g, 8 USC § 1189, 8 USC § 1202, 12 USC § 1828, 12 USC § 3414, 15 USC § 1681a, 15 USC § 6102, 15 USC § 6106, 18 USC § 7, 18 USC § 81, 18 USC § 175, 18 USC § 470, 18 USC § 471, 18 USC § 472, 18 USC § 473, 18 USC § 474, 18 USC § 476, 18 USC § 477, 18 USC § 478, 18 USC § 479, 18 USC § 480, 18 USC § 481, 18 USC § 484, 18 USC § 493, 18 USC § 917, 18 USC § 930, 18 USC § 981, 18 USC § 1029, 18 USC § 1030, 18 USC § 1362, 18 USC § 1363, 18 USC § 1366, 18 USC § 1956, 18 USC § 1960, 18 USC § 1961, 18 USC § 1992, 18 USC § 2155, 18 USC § 2325, 18 USC § 2331, 18 USC § 2332e, 18 USC § 2339A, 18 USC § 2339B, 18 USC § 2340A, 18 USC § 2510, 18 USC § 2511, 18 USC § 2516, 18 USC § 2517, 18 USC § 2520, 18 USC § 2702, 18 USC § 2703, 18 USC § 2707, 18 USC § 2709, 18 USC § 2711, 18 USC § 3056, 18 USC § 3077, 18 USC § 3103, 18 USC § 3121, 18 USC § 3123, 18 USC § 3124, 18 USC § 3127, 18 USC § 3286, 18 USC § 3583, 20 USC § 1232g, 20 USC § 9007, 31 USC § 310 (redesignated), 31 USC § 5311, 31 USC § 5312, 31 USC § 5317, 31 USC § 5318, 31 USC § 5319, 31 USC § 5321, 31 USC § 5322, 31 USC § 5324, 31 USC § 5330, 31 USC § 5331, 31 USC § 5332, 31 USC § 5341, 42 USC § 2284, 42 USC § 2284, 42 USC § 3796, 42 USC § 3796h, 42 USC § 10601, 42 USC § 10602, 42 USC § 10603, 42 USC § 10603b, 42 USC § 14601, 42 USC § 14135A, 47 USC § 551, 49 USC § 31305, 49 USC § 46504, 49 USC § 46505, 49 USC § 60123, 50 USC § 403-3c, 50 USC § 401a, 50 USC § 1702, 50 USC § 1801, 50 USC § 1803, 50 USC § 1804, 50 USC § 1805, 50 USC § 1806, 50 USC § 1823, 50 USC § 1824, 50 USC § 1842, 50 USC § 1861, 50 USC § 1862, 50 USC § 1863
Legislative history
Major amendments
USA Freedom Act

The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) was a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush. The formal name of the statute is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001, and the commonly used short name is a contrived acronym that is embedded in the name set forth in the statute.[1]

The Patriot Act was enacted following the September 11 attacks and the 2001 anthrax attacks with the stated goal of tightening U.S. national security, particularly as it related to foreign terrorism. In general, the act included three main provisions:

  • Expanded surveillance abilities of law enforcement, including by tapping domestic and international phones;
  • Easier interagency communication to allow federal agencies to more effectively use all available resources in counterterrorism efforts; and
  • Increased penalties for terrorism crimes and an expanded list of activities which would qualify for terrorism charges.

The law is extremely controversial due to its authorization of indefinite detention without trial of immigrants, and due to the permission given to law enforcement to search property and records without the owner's consent or knowledge. Since its passage, several legal challenges have been brought against the act, and federal courts have ruled that a number of provisions are unconstitutional.

It contains many sunset provisions beginning December 31, 2005, approximately four years after its passage. Before the sunset date, an extension was passed for four years which kept most of the law intact. In May 2011, President Barack Obama signed the PATRIOT Sunset Extensions Act of 2011, which extended three provisions.[2] These provisions were modified and extended until 2019 by the USA Freedom Act, passed in 2015.[3] In 2020, efforts to extend the provisions were not passed by the House of Representatives, and as such, the law has expired.[4]

  1. ^ Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 107–56 (text) (PDF), § 1(a), 115 Stat. 272, 272.
  2. ^ Mascaro, Lisa (May 27, 2011). "Patriot Act provisions extended just in time". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  3. ^ Kelly, Erin. "Senate approves USA Freedom Act". USA Today. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  4. ^ Savage, Charlie (March 27, 2020). "House Departs Without Vote to Extend Expired F.B.I. Spy Tools". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 31, 2021.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia

Developed by Nelliwinne