The Patriot Act Provisions


The provisions are:

Section 201 -- Gives federal officials the authority to intercept wire, spoken and electronic communications relating to terrorism.

Section 202
-- Gives federal officials the authority to intercept wire, spoken and
electronic communications relating to computer fraud and abuse offenses.

Subsection 203(b)
-- Permits the sharing of grand jury information that involves foreign
intelligence or counterintelligence with federal law enforcement,
intelligence, protective, immigration, national defense or national
security officials

Subsection 203(d) -- Gives foreign
intelligence or counterintelligence officers the ability to share
foreign intelligence information obtained as part of a criminal
investigation with law enforcement.

Section 204 -- Makes
clear that nothing in the law regarding pen registers -- an electronic
device which records all numbers dialed from a particular phone line --
stops the government's ability to obtain foreign intelligence
information.

Section 206 -- Allows federal officials to
issue roving "John Doe" wiretaps, which allow investigators to listen
in on any telephone and tap any computer they think a suspected spy or
terrorist might use.

Section 207 -- Increases the amount of time that federal officials may watch people they suspect are spies or terrorists.

Section 209 -- Permits the seizure of voicemail messages under a warrant.

Section 212
-- Permits Internet service providers and other electronic
communication and remote computing service providers to hand over
records and e-mails to federal officials in emergency situations.

Section 214
-- Allows use of a pen register or trap and trace devices that record
originating phone numbers of all incoming calls in international
terrorism or spy investigations.

Section 215 -- Authorizes
federal officials to obtain "tangible items" like business records,
including those from libraries and bookstores, for foreign intelligence
and international terrorism investigations.

Section 217 -- Makes it lawful to intercept the wire or electronic communication of a computer hacker or intruder in certain circumstances.

Section 218
-- Allows federal officials to wiretap or watch suspects if foreign
intelligence gathering is a "significant purpose" for seeking a Federal
Intelligence Surveillance Act order. The pre-Patriot Act standard said
officials could ask for the surveillance only if it was the sole or
main purpose.

Section 220 -- Provides for nationwide service of search warrants for electronic evidence.

Section 223
-- Amends the federal criminal code to provide for administrative
discipline of federal officers or employees who violate prohibitions
against unauthorized disclosures of information gathered under this act.

Section 225
-- Amends FISA to prohibit lawsuits against people or companies that
provide information to federal officials for a terrorism investigation.