USA PATRIOT ACT

The Department of Justice's first priority is to prevent future terrorist attacks. Since its passage following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Patriot Act has played a key part - and often the leading role - in a number of successful operations to protect innocent Americans from the deadly plans of terrorists dedicated to destroying America and our way of life. While the results have been important, in passing the Patriot Act, Congress provided for only modest, incremental changes in the law. Congress simply took existing legal principles and retrofitted them to preserve the lives and liberty of the American people from the challenges posed by a global terrorist network.¹

The USA PATRIOT Act was passed by the senate 98-1, and 357-66 in the House and was signed into law by President George Bush on October 26,2001. USA PATRIOT is actually a backronym(a reversed acronym that has been formed from the letters of an existing word or name).It stands for United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 The mission of the act is to improve our counter terrorism efforts in several ways.

1. The Patriot Act allows investigators to use the tools that were already available to investigate organized crime and drug trafficking

• ex. FBI could get a wiretap to investigate a mafia but couldn't do the same to investigate terrorist.

• Allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror.

• Allows federal agents to follow sophisticated terrorists trained to evade detection.

• Allows law enforcement to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorist.

• Allows federal agents to ask a court for an order to obtain business records in national security terrorism cases.

2.The Patriot Act facilitated information sharing and cooperation among government agencies so that they can better "connect the dots."

• ex. Act removed legal barriers that prevented police officers,FBI agents, federal prosecutors, intelligence officials , and national defense communities from talking and working together to protect our national security and people.

3.The Patriot Act updated the law to reflect new technologies and new threats

• Allows law enforcement officials to obtain a search warrant anywhere a terrorist-related activity occurred.

• Allows victims of computer hacking to request law enforcement assistance in monitoring the "trespassers" on their computers.

4. The Patriot Act increased the penalties for those who commit terrorist crimes.

• Prohibits the harboring of terrorists.

• Enhanced the inadequate maximum penalties for various crimes likely to be committed by terrorists.

• Punishes terrorist attacks on mass transit systems.

• Punishes bioterrorists.

• Eliminates the statutes of limitations for certain terrorism crimes and lengthens them for other terrorist crimes.

The Link Below will take you to a copy of the USA PATRIOT ACT

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-107hr3162enr/pdf/BILLS-107hr3162enr.pdf