Relevant Legislation Pending in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
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July 23, 2009
Pending Legislation in the U.S. Senate
| S 417 - State Secrets Protection Act |
| Sponsor: Patrick Leahy (D-VT) |
| Summary: A bill to enact a safe, fair, and responsible state secrets privilege Act. |
| Last Action: Jun 11, 2009: Committee on the Judiciary. |
Pending Legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives
| HR 984 - State Secret Protection Act of 2009 |
Sponsor: Jerrold Nadler (D-NY ) |
| Summary: Declares that in any civil action brought in federal or state court the government has a privilege to refuse to give information and to prevent any person from giving information only if the government shows that public disclosure of the information that the government seeks to protect would be reasonably likely to cause significant harm to the national defense or the diplomatic relations of the United States. |
| Last Action: November 5, 2009: Committee consideration and mark-up held. Bill ordered to be amended by Yeas and Nays: 18-12. |
| HR 559 - FAST Redress Act |
| Sponsor: Yvette Clarke (D-NY) |
| Summary: To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an appeal and redress process for individuals wrongly delayed or prohibited from boarding a flight, or denied a right, benefit, or privilege, and for other purposes. |
| Last Action: Voted and Passed by House February 03, 2009; Feb 04, 2009: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. |
| HR 1800 - National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009 |
| Sponsor: Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) |
| Summary: Prohibits a national security letter from being issued unless the issuing official certifies specific facts providing reason to believe that the information or records sought pertain to a foreign power or agent thereof. Prohibits a letter from being issued in connection with an investigation of a U.S. person solely upon the basis of activities protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. |
| Last Action: April 27, 2009: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. |
| H.R. 104 - To establish a national commission on presidential war powers and civil |
| Sponsor: John Conyers (D-MI) |
| Summary: This bill would establish a commission to investigate policies of the Bush Administration, which were carried out under the premise of “unreviewable war powers”, for a period of 18 months and 60 days. Investigations and hearings would be held regarding detentions made by the Armed Forces and intelligence community, the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, the concealment of individuals' capture or detention, extraordinary rendition, and domestic electronic surveillance performed without a warrant. |
| Last Action: Jun 12, 2009: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. |
