Category «Legislation»

Opposing Views on Patriot Act Reauthorization Presented in DOJ and Advocacy Group Statements

DOJ Fact Sheet, December 20, 2005 – Civil Liberties Safeguards in the USA PATRIOT Act Conference Report: “After months of debate—including 23 Congressional hearings with over 60 witnesses—the Senate must act to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act before these key provisions expire. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the bill with strong …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legislation, Patriot Act, Privacy

New on LLRX.com

A Selected Bibliography on “Sensitive But Unclassified” and Similarly Designated Information Held by the Federal Government, by Sara E. Kelley Wrongful Conviction and Innocence Resources on the Internet, by Ken Strutin Foreign and Transnational Legal Forms, by Mary Rumsey 2005 Holiday Gadget Gift Guides, by Jeff Beard Dennis Kennedy’s Legal Technology Predictions for 2006: Small …

Subjects: Congress, E-Commerce, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries, Marketing, Search Engines

Digital Age Communications Act

Press release: “…Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the Digital Age Communications Act (DACA), S. 2113, 50 pages, PDF. The bill creates a communications regulation system that is market-oriented, competition-based and grounded in sound economic principles.”

Subjects: Congress, Legislation

Senate Vote on Patriot Act Scheduled Tomorrow

AP: Feingold Now Has Numbers on His Side – As the only Senator voting against the Patriot Act in 2001, Feingold’s consistent efforts to reform the bill have resulted in a bipartisan group now comprising over 24 Senators who are demanding reforms before reauthorizing the legislation. Statement by Sen. Russ Feingold: “The Senate is scheduled …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legislation, Patriot Act, Privacy

President Issues New Order on FOIA Disclosures

AP reports Bush to Ease Public Access to Information, via an Executive Order signed this afternoon. According to White House press secretary Scott McClellan’s statements at the briefing today: “The order requires agencies to designate a senior official as the chief officer for Freedom of Information Act requests. They’ll be responsible for agency-wide implementation of …

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Senate Patriot Act Reauthorization Vote Scheduled For Friday?

Following up on yesterday’s Bipartisan Coalition Seeks 3 Month Extension on Expiration of Patriot Act Provisions, today EPIC posted internal FBI documents obtained from a FOIA lawsuit against the DOJ, detailing government use of controversial sections of the Patriot Act scheduled for reauthorization by year’s end. EPIC’s requests for further documents are pending, and may …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legislation, Libraries, Patriot Act, Privacy

Waxman Requests Removal of DIA FOIA Exemption From Defense Authorization

Press release: “Rep. Waxman asks the House and Senate Armed Forces Committees to remove a provision in the pending National Defense Authorization Act that would weaken the nation’s open government laws by exempting “operational records” of the Defense Intelligence Agency from the Freedom of Information Act.” Letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committees (2 …

Subjects: Congress, Freedom of Information, Legislation

Bipartisan Coalition Seeks 3 Month Extension on Expiration of Patriot Act Provisions

Follow-up to Deal Reached on Patriot Act Reauthorization Amid Wide Disagreement, this press release today: “Senator Patrick Leahy, (D-Vt.), the ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, has forged a coalition of Republican and Democratic senators that introduced a bill Monday to extend the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act to give Congress more …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legislation, Libraries, Patriot Act, Privacy

Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 Introduced Today

The text of H.R. 4437 A section by section summary November 17, 2005: “the House Homeland Security Committee approved comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to address security problems across U.S. borders.” H.R. 4312, the Border Security and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2005. Information on the Homeland Security Committee’s provisions from H.R. 4312.

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legislation