Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

E4004

United States federal statute surveillance law

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is a U.S. federal law that governs the procedures for physical and electronic surveillance and collection of foreign intelligence information, particularly for national security and counterintelligence purposes.

Aliases (3)

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ×9
FISA ×2
Section 702 of FISA ×1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	United States federal statute → surveillance law →
abbreviation	FISC →
administeredBy	United States Department of Justice → United States intelligence community →
amendedBy	FISA Amendments Act of 2008 → Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 → USA FREEDOM Act → USA PATRIOT Act →
appliesTo	agents of foreign powers → communications service providers in the United States → foreign powers →
citation	50 U.S.C. §§ 1801 et seq. →
containsProvision	Section 215 business records provision → Section 702 targeting non-U.S. persons reasonably believed to be outside the United States → Title I electronic surveillance → Title III physical searches → Title IV pen registers and trap and trace devices →
controversy	bulk collection of telephony metadata → privacy and civil liberties implications → warrantless surveillance concerns →
country	United States →
dateEnacted	1978-10-25 →
effectiveDate	1978 →
enactedBy	United States Congress →
establishes	Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review →
jurisdiction	United States domestic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes →
language	English →
legalBasisFor	FBI foreign intelligence investigations → National Security Agency surveillance programs →
oversightBy	United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence → United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence →
primaryPurpose	govern electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes → govern physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes → regulate foreign intelligence surveillance → support counterintelligence investigations → support national security investigations →
regulates	access to business records for foreign intelligence purposes → electronic surveillance → pen register and trap and trace devices → physical searches →
relatedTo	Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution → United States national security law →
requires	judicial authorization for certain foreign intelligence surveillance →
shortName	FISA →
signedBy	Jimmy Carter →
standardOfProof	probable cause that the target is a foreign power or agent of a foreign power →

Referenced by (28)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
FISA Amendments Act of 2008 ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") → Public Law 107-56 ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") → Public Law 108-458 ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") → USA FREEDOM Act ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") → USA PATRIOT Act ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") → USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") →	amends
FISC → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review → PRISM → intelligence elements of the Federal Bureau of Investigation →	legalBasis
Executive Order 12333 → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review → National Security Letter → Title 50 of the United States Code →	relatedTo
FISC ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") → Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") →	establishedBy
FISA Amendments Act of 2008 ("Section 702 of FISA") →	containsProvision
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ("Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978") →	createdBy
National Security Division →	ensuresComplianceWith
FISC ("FISA") →	legalBasisAbbreviation
United States national security apparatus →	legalFramework
95th United States Congress →	passedLegislation
USA FREEDOM Act →	reforms
Stellar Wind →	regulatedBy
Church Committee →	resultedIn
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ("FISA") →	shortName
National Security Agency →	usesLegalAuthority