FC: Congress drafts new "anti-terror" bill -- with expiration date

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

Text of the new PATRIOT ("Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept 
and Obstruct Terrorism") Act:
http://www.well.com/~declan/sep11/patriot.act.100101.pdf

Background on other legislation:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,47199,00.html
http://www.wartimeliberty.com/search.pl?topic=legislation

-Declan

*********

http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,47230,00.html

    Eavesdrop Now, Reassess Later?
    By Declan McCullagh (declan@wired.com)
    5:00 p.m. Oct. 1, 2001 PDT

    WASHINGTON -- House negotiators have drafted anti-terrorism
    legislation to grant police unprecedented eavesdropping powers that
    would automatically expire in two years.

    Leaders of the House Judiciary committee have crafted a new
    anti-terrorism bill, called the Patriot Act, that includes nearly all
    the surveillance abilities requested by President Bush -- but with a
    sunset date of Dec. 31, 2003. A vote on the bill is expected this
    week.

    A 122-page draft (PDF) of the Patriot Act, obtained by Wired News,
    says that police could conduct Internet wiretaps in some situations
    without court orders, that judges' ability to reject surveillance
    requests would be sharply curtailed, and that the powers of a secret
    federal court would be expanded.

    [...]




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