Global InformationPatriot Act information
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| Other short titles | Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 |
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| Long title | An Act to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and across the globe, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes. |
| Acronyms (colloquial) | USA PATRIOT Act |
| Nicknames | Patriot Act |
| Enacted by | the 107th United States Congress |
| Effective | October 26, 2001 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 107–56 (text) (PDF) |
| Statutes at Large | 115 Stat. 272 |
| Codification | |
| Acts amended | Electronic Communications Privacy Act Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Money Laundering Control Act Bank Secrecy Act Right to Financial Privacy Act Fair Credit Reporting Act Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 Victims of Crime Act of 1984 Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act |
| Titles amended | 8, 12, 15, 18, 20, 31, 42, 47, 49, 50 |
| U.S.C. sections created | 18 USC § 2712, 31 USC § 5318A, 15 USC § 1681v, 8 USC § 1226A, 18 USC § 1993, 18 USC § 2339, 18 USC § 175b, 50 USC § 403-5b, 51 USC § 5103a |
| U.S.C. sections amended | 8 USC § 1105, 8 USC § 1182g, 8 USC § 1189, 8 USC § 1202, 12 USC § 1828, 12 USC § 3414, 15 USC § 1681a, 15 USC § 6102, 15 USC § 6106, 18 USC § 7, 18 USC § 81, 18 USC § 175, 18 USC § 470, 18 USC § 471, 18 USC § 472, 18 USC § 473, 18 USC § 474, 18 USC § 476, 18 USC § 477, 18 USC § 478, 18 USC § 479, 18 USC § 480, 18 USC § 481, 18 USC § 484, 18 USC § 493, 18 USC § 917, 18 USC § 930, 18 USC § 981, 18 USC § 1029, 18 USC § 1030, 18 USC § 1362, 18 USC § 1363, 18 USC § 1366, 18 USC § 1956, 18 USC § 1960, 18 USC § 1961, 18 USC § 1992, 18 USC § 2155, 18 USC § 2325, 18 USC § 2331, 18 USC § 2332e, 18 USC § 2339A, 18 USC § 2339B, 18 USC § 2340A, 18 USC § 2510, 18 USC § 2511, 18 USC § 2516, 18 USC § 2517, 18 USC § 2520, 18 USC § 2702, 18 USC § 2703, 18 USC § 2707, 18 USC § 2709, 18 USC § 2711, 18 USC § 3056, 18 USC § 3077, 18 USC § 3103, 18 USC § 3121, 18 USC § 3123, 18 USC § 3124, 18 USC § 3127, 18 USC § 3286, 18 USC § 3583, 20 USC § 1232g, 20 USC § 9007, 31 USC § 310 (redesignated), 31 USC § 5311, 31 USC § 5312, 31 USC § 5317, 31 USC § 5318, 31 USC § 5319, 31 USC § 5321, 31 USC § 5322, 31 USC § 5324, 31 USC § 5330, 31 USC § 5331, 31 USC § 5332, 31 USC § 5341, 42 USC § 2284, 42 USC § 2284, 42 USC § 3796, 42 USC § 3796h, 42 USC § 10601, 42 USC § 10602, 42 USC § 10603, 42 USC § 10603b, 42 USC § 14601, 42 USC § 14135A, 47 USC § 551, 49 USC § 31305, 49 USC § 46504, 49 USC § 46505, 49 USC § 60123, 50 USC § 403-3c, 50 USC § 401a, 50 USC § 1702, 50 USC § 1801, 50 USC § 1803, 50 USC § 1804, 50 USC § 1805, 50 USC § 1806, 50 USC § 1823, 50 USC § 1824, 50 USC § 1842, 50 USC § 1861, 50 USC § 1862, 50 USC § 1863 |
| Legislative history | |
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| Major amendments | |
| USA Freedom Act | |
The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) was a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush. The formal name of the statute is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001, and the commonly used short name is a contrived acronym that is embedded in the name set forth in the statute.[1]
The Patriot Act was enacted following the September 11 attacks and the 2001 anthrax attacks with the stated goal of tightening U.S. national security, particularly as it related to foreign terrorism. In general, the act included three main provisions:
- Expanded surveillance abilities of law enforcement, including by tapping domestic and international phones;
- Easier interagency communication to allow federal agencies to more effectively use all available resources in counterterrorism efforts; and
- Increased penalties for terrorism crimes and an expanded list of activities which would qualify for terrorism charges.
The law is extremely controversial due to its authorization of indefinite detention without trial of immigrants, and due to the permission given to law enforcement to search property and records without the owner's consent or knowledge. Since its passage, several legal challenges have been brought against the act, and federal courts have ruled that a number of provisions are unconstitutional.
It contains many sunset provisions beginning December 31, 2005, approximately four years after its passage. Before the sunset date, an extension was passed for four years which kept most of the law intact. In May 2011, President Barack Obama signed the PATRIOT Sunset Extensions Act of 2011, which extended three provisions.[2] These provisions were modified and extended until 2019 by the USA Freedom Act, passed in 2015.[3] In 2020, efforts to extend the provisions were not passed by the House of Representatives, and as such, the law has expired.[4]
- ^ Pub. L. 107–56 (text) (PDF), § 1(a), 115 Stat. 272, 272.
- ^ Mascaro, Lisa (May 27, 2011). "Patriot Act provisions extended just in time". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Erin. "Senate approves USA Freedom Act". USA Today. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- ^ Savage, Charlie (March 27, 2020). "House Departs Without Vote to Extend Expired F.B.I. Spy Tools". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 31, 2021.