[Congressional Record: August 1, 2007 (Senate)]
[Page S10619-S10621]



          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS


      By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself and Mr. Bond):
  S. 1927. A bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of
1978 to provide additional procedures for authorizing certain
acquisitions of foreign intelligence information and for other
purposes; read the first time.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1927

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Protect America Act of
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL PROCEDURE FOR AUTHORIZING CERTAIN
                   ACQUISITIONS OF FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE
                   INFORMATION.

       The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50
     U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section
     105 the following:


   ``CLARIFICATION OF ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE OF PERSONS OUTSIDE THE
                             UNITED STATES

       ``Sec. 105A.  Nothing in the definition of electronic
     surveillance under section 101(f) shall be construed to
     encompass surveillance directed at a person reasonably
     believed to be located outside of the United States.


``ADDITIONAL PROCEDURE FOR AUTHORIZING CERTAIN ACQUISITIONS CONCERNING
               PERSONS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

       ``Sec. 105B.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the
     Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General,
     may for periods of up to one year authorize the acquisition
     of foreign intelligence information concerning persons
     reasonably believed to be outside the United States if the
     Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General
     determine, based on the information provided to them, that--
       ``(1) there are reasonable procedures in place for
     determining that the acquisition of foreign intelligence
     information under this section concerns persons reasonably
     believed to be located outside the United States, and such
     procedures will be subject to review of the Court pursuant to
     section 105C of this Act;
       ``(2) the acquisition does not constitute electronic
     surveillance;
       ``(3) the acquisition involves obtaining the foreign
     intelligence information from or with the assistance of a
     communications service provider, custodian, or other person
     (including any officer, employee, agent, or other specified
     person of such service provider, custodian, or other person)
     who has access to communications, either as they are
     transmitted or while they are stored, or equipment that is
     being or may be used to transmit or store such
     communications;
       ``(4) a significant purpose of the acquisition is to obtain
     foreign intelligence information; and
       ``(5) the minimization procedures to be used with respect
     to such acquisition activity meet the definition of
     minimization procedures under section 101(h).
       ``This determination shall be in the form of a written
     certification, under oath, supported as appropriate by
     affidavit of appropriate officials in the national security
     field occupying positions appointed by the President, by and
     with the consent of the Senate, or the Head of any Agency of
     the Intelligence Community, unless immediate action by the
     Government is required and time does not permit the
     preparation of a certification.

[[Page S10620]]

     In such a case, the determination of the Director of National
     Intelligence and the Attorney General shall be reduced to a
     certification as soon as possible but in no event more than
     72 hours after the determination is made.
       ``(b) A certification under subsection (a) is not required
     to identify the specific facilities, places, premises, or
     property at which the acquisition of foreign intelligence
     information will be directed.
       ``(c) The Attorney General shall transmit as soon as
     practicable under seal to the court established under section
     103(a) a copy of a certification made under subsection (a).
     Such certification shall be maintained under security
     measures established by the Chief Justice of the United
     States and the Attorney General, in consultation with the
     Director of National Intelligence, and shall remain sealed
     unless the certification is necessary to determine the
     legality of the acquisition under section 105B.
       ``(d) An acquisition under this section may be conducted
     only in accordance with the certification of the Director of
     National Intelligence and the Attorney General, or their oral
     instructions if time does not permit the preparation of a
     certification, and the minimization procedures adopted by the
     Attorney General. The Director of National Intelligence and
     the Attorney General shall assess compliance with such
     procedures and shall report such assessments to the Permanent
     Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
     Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of
     the Senate under section 108(a).
       ``(e) With respect to an authorization of an acquisition
     under section 105B, the Director of National Intelligence and
     Attorney General may direct a person to--
       ``(1) immediately provide the Government with all
     information, facilities, and assistance necessary to
     accomplish the acquisition in such a manner as will protect
     the secrecy of the acquisition and produce a minimum of
     interference with the services that such person is providing
     to the target; and
       ``(2) maintain under security procedures approved by the
     Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence
     any records concerning the acquisition or the aid furnished
     that such person wishes to maintain.
       ``(f) The Government shall compensate, at the prevailing
     rate, a person for providing information, facilities, or
     assistance pursuant to subsection (e).
       ``(g) In the case of a failure to comply with a directive
     issued pursuant to subsection (e), the Attorney General may
     invoke the aid of the court established under section 103(a)
     to compel compliance with the directive. The court shall
     issue an order requiring the person to comply with the
     directive if it finds that the directive was issued in
     accordance with subsection (e) and is otherwise lawful.
     Failure to obey an order of the court may be punished by the
     court as contempt of court. Any process under this section
     may be served in any judicial district in which the person
     may be found.
       ``(h)(1)(A) A person receiving a directive issued pursuant
     to subsection (e) may challenge the legality of that
     directive by filing a petition with the pool established
     under section 103(e)(1).
       ``(B) The presiding judge designated pursuant to section
     103(b) shall assign a petition filed under subparagraph (A)
     to one of the judges serving in the pool established by
     section 103(e)(1). Not later than 48 hours after the
     assignment of such petition, the assigned judge shall conduct
     an initial review of the directive. If the assigned judge
     determines that the petition is frivolous, the assigned judge
     shall immediately deny the petition and affirm the directive
     or any part of the directive that is the subject of the
     petition. If the assigned judge determines the petition is
     not frivolous, the assigned judge shall, within 72 hours,
     consider the petition in accordance with the procedures
     established under section 103(e)(2) and provide a written
     statement for the record of the reasons for any determination
     under this subsection.
       ``(2) A judge considering a petition to modify or set aside
     a directive may grant such petition only if the judge finds
     that such directive does not meet the requirements of this
     section or is otherwise unlawful. If the judge does not
     modify or set aside the directive, the judge shall
     immediately affirm such directive, and order the recipient to
     comply with such directive.
       ``(3) Any directive not explicitly modified or set aside
     under this subsection shall remain in full effect.
       ``(i) The Government or a person receiving a directive
     reviewed pursuant to subsection (h) may file a petition with
     the Court of Review established under section 103(b) for
     review of the decision issued pursuant to subsection (h) not
     later than 7 days after the issuance of such decision. Such
     court of review shall have jurisdiction to consider such
     petitions and shall provide for the record a written
     statement of the reasons for its decision. On petition for a
     writ of certiorari by the Government or any person receiving
     such directive, the record shall be transmitted under seal to
     the Supreme Court, which shall have jurisdiction to review
     such decision.
       ``(j) Judicial proceedings under this section shall be
     concluded as expeditiously as possible. The record of
     proceedings, including petitions filed, orders granted, and
     statements of reasons for decision, shall be maintained under
     security measures established by the Chief Justice of the
     United States, in consultation with the Attorney General and
     the Director of National Intelligence.
       ``(k) All petitions under this section shall be filed under
     seal. In any proceedings under this section, the court shall,
     upon request of the Government, review ex parte and in camera
     any Government submission, or portions of a submission, which
     may include classified information.
       ``(l) Notwithstanding any other law, no cause of action
     shall lie in any court against any person for providing any
     information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with a
     directive under this section.
       ``(m) A directive made or an order granted under this
     section shall be retained for a period of not less than 10
     years from the date on which such directive or such order is
     made.''.

     SEC. 3. SUBMISSION TO COURT REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF
                   PROCEDURES.

       The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50
     U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section
     105B the following:


               ``SUBMISSION TO COURT REVIEW OF PROCEDURES

       ``Sec. 105C.  (a) No later than 120 days after the
     effective date of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit
     to the Court established under section 103(a), the procedures
     by which the Government determines that acquisitions
     conducted pursuant to section 105B do not constitute
     electronic surveillance. The procedures submitted pursuant to
     this section shall be updated and submitted to the Court on
     an annual basis.
       ``(b) No later than 180 days after the effective date of
     this Act, the court established under section 103(a) shall
     assess the Government's determination under section
     105B(a)(1) that those procedures are reasonably designed to
     ensure that acquisitions conducted pursuant to section 105B
     do not constitute electronic surveillance. The court's review
     shall be limited to whether the Government's determination is
     clearly erroneous.
       ``(c) If the court concludes that the determination is not
     clearly erroneous, it shall enter an order approving the
     continued use of such procedures. If the court concludes that
     the determination is clearly erroneous, it shall issue an
     order directing the Government to submit new procedures
     within 30 days or cease any acquisitions under section 105B
     that are implicated by the court's order.
       ``(d) The Government may appeal any order issued under
     subsection (c) to the court established under section 103(b).
     If such court determines that the order was properly entered,
     the court shall immediately provide for the record a written
     statement of each reason for its decision, and, on petition
     of the United States for a writ of certiorari, the record
     shall be transmitted under seal to the Supreme Court of the
     United States, which shall have jurisdiction to review such
     decision. Any acquisitions affected by the order issued under
     subsection (c) of this section may continue during the
     pendency of any appeal, the period during which a petition
     for writ of certiorari may be pending, and any review by the
     Supreme Court of the United States.''.

     SEC. 4. REPORTING TO CONGRESS.

       On a semi-annual basis the Attorney General shall inform
     the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, the
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
     Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary of the
     Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
     Representatives, concerning acquisitions under this section
     during the previous 6-month period. Each report made under
     this section shall include--
       (1) a description of any incidents of non-compliance with a
     directive issued by the Attorney General and the Director of
     National Intelligence under section 105B, to include--
       (A) incidents of non-compliance by an element of the
     Intelligence Community with guidelines or procedures
     established for determining that the acquisition of foreign
     intelligence authorized by the Attorney General and Director
     of National Intelligence concerns persons reasonably to be
     outside the United States; and
       (B) incidents of noncompliance by a specified person to
     whom the Attorney General and Director of National
     Intelligence issue a directive under this section; and
       (2) the number of certifications and directives issued
     during the reporting period.

     SEC. 5. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       (a) In General.--Section 103(e) of the Foreign Intelligence
     Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1803(e)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``501(f)(1)'' and
     inserting ``105B(h) or 501(f)(1)''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``501(f)(1)'' and
     inserting ``105B(h) or 501(f)(1)''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in the first
     section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978
     (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the
     item relating to section 105 the following:

``105A.Clarification of electronic surveillance of persons outside the
              United States.
``105B.Additional procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions
              concerning persons located outside the United States.
``105C. Submission to court review of procedures.''.

     SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE; TRANSITION PROCEDURES.

       (a) Effective Date.--Except as otherwise provided, the
     amendments made by this Act

[[Page S10621]]

     shall take effect immediately after the date of the enactment
     of this Act.
       (b) Transition Procedures.--Notwithstanding any other
     provision of this Act, any order in effect on the date of
     enactment of this Act issued pursuant to the Foreign
     Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et
     seq.) shall remain in effect until the date of expiration of
     such order, and, at the request of the applicant, the court
     established under section 103 (a) of such Act (50 U.S.C.
     1803(a)) shall reauthorize such order as long as the facts
     and circumstances continue to justify issuance of such order
     under the provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
     Act of 1978, as in effect on the day before the applicable
     effective date of this Act. The Government also may file new
     applications, and the court established under section 103(a)
     of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50
     U.S.C. 1803(a)) shall enter orders granting such applications
     pursuant to such Act, as long as the application meets the
     requirements set forth under the provisions of such Act as in
     effect on the day before the effective date of this Act. At
     the request of the applicant, the court established under
     section 103(a) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
     of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1803(a)), shall extinguish any extant
     authorization to conduct electronic surveillance or physical
     search entered pursuant to such Act. Any surveillance
     conducted pursuant to an order entered under this subsection
     shall be subject to the provisions of the Foreign
     Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et
     seq.), as in effect on the day before the effective date of
     this Act.
                                 ______