Results for

  • Strengthening Oversight of DHS Intelligence Act

    HR #7984 | Last Action: 8/7/2020
    Strengthening Oversight of DHS Intelligence Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that its handling of intelligence is consistent with privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties. Specifically, the DHS senior official with primary responsibility for privacy policy shall ensure that intelligence information is shared, retained, and disseminated in a manner consistent with protecting privacy rights. The DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties shall ensure that intelligence information is shared, retained, and disseminated in a manner consistent with protecting civil rights and civil liberties. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis within DHS shall ensure that intelligence information is handled in a manner consistent with the guidance from the DHS privacy official and the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
  • Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act

    HR #4713 | Last Action: 12/9/2019
    Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act This bill makes changes to the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill expands the duties of the CRCL to include * integrating civil rights and civil liberties protections into all DHS programs and activities; * conducting civil rights and civil liberties impact assessments, including prior to the implementation of new DHS regulations, initiatives, programs, or policies; * initiating reviews, assessments, and investigations of the administration of DHS programs and activities; * leading the equal employment opportunity programs of DHS; * engaging with individuals and communities whose civil rights and civil liberties may be affected by DHS programs and activities; and * leading the Language Access Program to ensure that DHS can effectively communicate with individuals impacted by its programs and activities. The bill requires each operational component of DHS to designate an Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to report to the CRCL. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on implementation of provisions regarding CRCL engagement with individuals and communities whose civil rights and civil liberties may be affected by DHS programs and activities.
  • Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act

    S #3433 | Last Action: 3/10/2020
    Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act This bill makes changes to the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill expands the duties of the CRCL to include * integrating civil rights and civil liberties protections into all DHS programs and activities; * conducting civil rights and civil liberties impact assessments; * initiating reviews, assessments, and investigations of the administration of DHS programs and activities; * leading the equal employment opportunity programs of DHS; and * engaging with individuals and communities whose civil rights and civil liberties may be affected by DHS programs and activities. The bill requires each operational component of DHS to designate an Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to report to the CRCL. The bill grants the CRCL the authority to issue subpoenas with the approval of the Secretary of DHS. The CRCL must report annually to the President. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress within two years of this bill's enactment.
  • Detention Oversight, Not Expansion Act

    HR #3906 | Last Action: 8/15/2019
    Detention Oversight, Not Expansion Act or the DONE Act This bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using any federal funds to construct or expand immigration detention facilities and requires additional oversight of such facilities. The DHS Inspector General shall conduct various oversight activities into immigration detention facilities, including (1) periodic unannounced inspections; (2) audits to ensure compliance with various legal requirements; and (3) investigations into issues such as deaths in custody, detainee access to medical and mental health care, and sexual assault and harassment. DHS may not continue a contract with any facility deemed less than adequate in two of the most recent inspector general inspections, audits, or investigations. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within DHS shall (1) investigate civil rights and civil liberties complaints in immigration detention facilities, and (2) periodically release on a public website data about such complaints and investigations. The bill requires various reports to Congress, including a DHS plan for decreasing the number of immigration detention beds and implementing community-based alternatives to detention.
  • COVID–19 Misinformation and Disinformation Task Force Act of 2020

    S #4499 | Last Action: 8/6/2020
    COVID-19 Misinformation and Disinformation Task Force Act of 2020 This bill establishes an interagency COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) misinformation and disinformation task force. The task force shall include a representative from not less than one agency that regularly engages with racial or ethnic minority communities, rural communities, and other underserved populations. The functions of the task force shall be * coordinating the analysis of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation by agencies across the federal government, * developing integrated analyses of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation in a manner that protects individual privacy and civil liberties, * coordinating the dissemination to federal agencies and the White House Coronavirus Task Force of analyses developed by individual agencies and integrated analyses, and * developing and disseminating information literacy and information resilience public awareness campaigns relating to pandemics. The task force shall (1) ensure that the activities of the task force advance a compelling government interest related to COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation, (2) ensure that the activities of the task force are narrowly tailored to advance that interest while minimizing impacts on speech and expression that is not COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation, and (3) create procedures and internal policies that document the implications. The bill provides for (1) privacy and civil liberties oversight by the Department of Homeland Security, congressional briefings, and a public report; and (2) coordinated messaging.
  • COUNTER Act of 2019

    HR #2514 | Last Action: 5/3/2019
    Coordinating Oversight, Upgrading and Innovating Technology, and Examiner Reform Act of 2019 or the COUNTER Act of 2019 This bill generally revises requirements related to anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing laws. Among other things, the bill * establishes new offices within financial regulatory agencies related to privacy and civil liberties; * creates programs within the Department of the Treasury to enable foreign and domestic outreach regarding these laws; * allows for increased information sharing between law enforcement, financial institutions, and financial regulators; and * revises whistleblower incentives related to actions brought by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The bill also increases penalties for violations of anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing laws, requires antiquities dealers to comply with these laws, and requires the reporting of beneficial ownership information to FinCEN in certain commercial real estate transactions. Every five years, Treasury must update the threshold amounts for currency transaction reports to reflect inflation.
  • National Commission on Online Platforms and Homeland Security Act

    HR #4782 | Last Action: 12/21/2020
    National Commission on Online Platforms and Homeland Security Act This bill establishes the National Commission on Online Platforms and Homeland Security to address content on online and social media platforms that implicates national security concerns. Specifically, the commission shall identify, examine, and report on the ways online platforms have been used in furtherance or support of targeted violence or covert foreign state influence campaigns and how addressing such uses impacts users' free speech, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. Consistent with these purposes, the commission must analyze (1) online platforms' responses to such usage; (2) the impacts of algorithms and automated decision-making systems; and (3) the extent to which online platforms have transparent, consistent, and equitable policies and procedures to address violations of platform rules. The commission must then develop recommendations for how online platforms could address improper use through methods that are transparent and accountable while continuing to promote free speech and innovation on the internet and preserving individual privacy and civil rights. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security must (1) research whether any connection exists between the use of online platforms and targeted violence; and (2) develop voluntary approaches that could be adopted by online platforms to address any correlations found while still preserving the individual privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of users.
  • AI in Counterterrorism Oversight Enhancement Act

    HR #4469 | Last Action: 7/16/2021
  • Exposure Notification Privacy Act

    S #3861 | Last Action: 6/1/2020
    Exposure Notification Privacy Act This bill establishes requirements for operators of services providing automatic notification of exposure to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). These include voluntary consent for enrollment in such services and procedures related to data privacy.
  • DONE Act

    S #2221 | Last Action: 7/23/2019
    Detention Oversight, Not Expansion Act or the DONE Act This bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using any federal funds to construct or expand immigration detention facilities and requires additional oversight of such facilities. The DHS Inspector General shall conduct various oversight activities into immigration detention facilities, including (1) periodic unannounced inspections; (2) audits to ensure compliance with various legal requirements; and (3) investigations into issues such as deaths in custody, detainee access to medical and mental health care, and sexual assault and harassment. DHS may not continue a contract with any facility deemed less than adequate in two of the most recent inspector general inspections, audits, or investigations. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within DHS shall (1) investigate civil rights and civil liberties complaints in immigration detention facilities, and (2) periodically release on a public website data about such complaints and investigations. The bill requires various reports to Congress, including a DHS plan for decreasing the number of immigration detention beds and implementing community-based alternatives to detention.
  • Upholding the civil liberties and civil rights of Iranian Americans and condemning bigotry, violence, and discrimination.

    HRES #1008 | Last Action: 8/1/2020
    This resolution condemns bigotry and acts of violence or discrimination against Iranian Americans and others. The resolution, among other things * encourages U.S. elected officials to engage Iranian Americans to share their experiences with their communities to end stereotypes, correct misconceptions, and convey instances of abuse against the Iranian American community; * calls upon law enforcement authorities to investigate and vigorously prosecute crimes committed against Americans that are based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, or ethnicity; * urges the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Department of Homeland Security to conclude a thorough and timely investigation into detentions of Iranian Americans at the border; and * calls on Customs and Border Protection to immediately halt any orders that encourage discrimination on the basis of nationality or religion, including those targeting individuals of Iranian heritage.
  • A resolution upholding the civil liberties and civil rights of Iranian Americans and condemning bigotry, violence, and discrimination.

    SRES #626 | Last Action: 6/17/2020
    This resolution condemns bigotry and acts of violence or discrimination against Iranian Americans and others. The resolution, among other things * encourages U.S. elected officials to engage Iranian Americans to share their experiences with their communities to end stereotypes, correct misconceptions, and convey instances of abuse against the Iranian American community; * calls upon law enforcement authorities to investigate and vigorously prosecute crimes committed against Americans that are based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, or ethnicity; * urges the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Department of Homeland Security to conclude a thorough and timely investigation into detentions of Iranian Americans at the border; and * calls on Customs and Border Protection to immediately halt any orders that encourage discrimination on the basis of nationality or religion, including those targeting individuals of Iranian heritage.
  • Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2023

    HR #4107 | Last Action: 6/14/2023
  • Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019

    S #505 | Last Action: 2/14/2019
    Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 This bill modifies the detention authority of the United States. Specifically, it prohibits detention or imprisonment based solely on an actual or perceived protected characteristic of an individual. A protected characteristic includes each of the following: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristic that the Department of Justice determines to be a protected characteristic.
  • Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019

    HR #1288 | Last Action: 3/25/2019
    Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 This bill modifies the detention authority of the United States. Specifically, it prohibits detention or imprisonment based solely on an actual or perceived protected characteristic of an individual. A protected characteristic includes each of the following: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristic that the Department of Justice determines to be a protected characteristic.
  • Unifying DHS Intelligence Components Act

    HR #2589 | Last Action: 9/26/2019
    Unifying DHS Intelligence Components Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and disseminate written DHS-wide intelligence doctrine for the intelligence components of DHS and develop specified DHS-wide policies, standards, and programs. Specifically, DHS must develop department-wide (1) policies, standards, and programs for training regarding the collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence information, intelligence-related information, and terrorism information by personnel within the DHS intelligence components; and (2) policies for gathering and developing lessons learned, disseminating the lessons learned to personnel within the intelligence components, and using the lessons learned to inform the further development of the intelligence doctrine. The intelligence doctrine, policies, standards, and programs must include, among other things (1) a description of the fundamental principles guiding the collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence information by, and oversight of the intelligence activities of, the intelligence components; and (2) a standardized terminology. The Government Accountability Office must submit a report to the congressional intelligence and homeland security committees that * assesses the degree to which the DHS intelligence doctrine, policies, standards, and programs are implemented across DHS; * evaluates the extent to which such intelligence doctrine, policies, standards, and programs are carried out to protect privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties; and * incorporates an in-depth analysis, including an assessment of the effectiveness and possible areas for improvement, of specified DHS intelligence-related training programs. DHS must provide a staff with appropriate expertise and experience to the Office of the Chief Intelligence Officer to assist the office.
  • Strengthening Oversight of DHS Intelligence Act

    HR #7915 | Last Action: 4/9/2024
  • Strengthening Oversight of DHS Intelligence Act

    HR #2261 | Last Action: 3/25/2025
  • DHS Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coordinator Act

    HR #3787 | Last Action: 10/23/2019
    DHS Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coordinator Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to designate a DHS official as the Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Coordinator to coordinate with relevant DHS offices and components, including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Privacy Office and other relevant federal agencies, on the development of policies and plans to counter threats associated with UAS (i.e., drones). The coordinator shall serve as the principal DHS official for disseminating information regarding counter-UAS technology to the private sector.
  • Protect Our Civil Liberties Act

    HR #8970 | Last Action: 12/15/2020
    Protect Our Civil Liberties Act This bill limits government surveillance, including by repealing the USA PATRIOT Act and certain provisions of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, and contains other intelligence-related provisions. Specifically, the bill repeals all provisions of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 except for a provision requiring certain Department of Justice reports to Congress and another provision authorizing the acquisition of foreign intelligence from certain entities engaged in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Information that concerns a U.S. person must be destroyed if it was previously collected under the laws repealed by the bill. The bill also prohibits the federal government from (1) acquiring information relating to a U.S. person by using certain foreign intelligence gathering authority without a warrant, (2) requiring electronics or software manufacturers to install a mechanism for the government to bypass encryption or privacy technology, or (3) retaliating against intelligence community whistleblowers. The bill also extends the terms of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judges from 7 to 10 years and makes such judges eligible for reappointment. Such judges may also appoint special masters to advise the court on technical issues. The Government Accountability Office must annually evaluate the federal government's compliance with certain laws concerning the collection of foreign intelligence.
  • Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act

    S #2968 | Last Action: 12/3/2019
    Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act This bill places requirements on entities that process or transfer a consumer's data. Specifically, the bill requires such entities to * make their privacy policy publicly available and provide an individual with access to their personal data; * delete or correct, upon request, information in an individual's data; * export, upon request, an individual's data in a human-readable and machine-readable format; * establish data security practices to protect the confidentiality and accessibility of consumer data; and * designate a privacy officer and a data security officer to implement and conduct privacy and data security programs and risk assessments. Further, the bill prohibits such entities from * engaging in deceptive or harmful data practices; * transferring an individual's data to a third party if the individual objects; * processing or transferring an individual's sensitive data without affirmative express consent; * processing or transferring data beyond what is reasonably necessary or for which they have obtained affirmative express consent; * processing or transferring data on the basis of specified protected characteristics (e.g., race, religion, or gender); * conditioning the provision of a service or product on an individual's agreement to waive their privacy rights; and * retaliating against an employee who provides information about a potential violation of the bill's provisions, or who testifies or assists in an investigation or judicial proceeding concerning such a violation. The Federal Trade Commission must establish a new bureau to assist with enforcement of these provisions.