Sen. Boxer's Patriot Act amendment

see below

> Dear Friend:
>
> I wanted to let you know about legislation I recently
> introduced to protect information about the books we
check out
> from the library and the books we buy from bookstores.
The
> Library and Bookseller Protection Act would protect
this
> information from sweeping searches by the federal
> government--and would ensure that information held
about us by
> libraries and bookstores is subject to the regular
search
> warrant process.
>
> In general, under federal criminal law, if the federal
> government wants to conduct a search, it must obtain a
> court-issued warrant after showing probable cause that
an
> individual has committed, is committing, or is about
to commit
> a crime. When gathering foreign intelligence
information, the
> Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978
allows the
> federal government to obtain a warrant (known as a
"FISA
> warrant") from a special, secret court if there is
probable
> cause to believe that an individual is an agent of a
foreign
> power. And, the FBI can issue National Security
Letters
> without a court order to obtain wire and electronic
> communications information (for example, the web sites
a person
> visits) if the person being investigated is believed
to be an
> agent of a foreign power.
>
> The USA Patriot Act significantly expanded the scope
of FISA
> warrants and National Security Letters. Neither the
new FISA
> warrants nor the new National Security Letters need to
specify
> a particular individual or involve the investigation
of a
> particular individual. This expansion is particularly
> troubling when it comes to libraries and bookstores.
When
> presented with a FISA warrant for "tangible things" or
a
> National Security Letter, libraries and booksellers
must reveal
> data about their users and customers. The federal
government
> can engage in broad, unspecific fishing expeditions
and obtain
> information on what books we have checked out, what
websites we
> have visited on library computers, and what we have
purchased
> in bookstores.
>
> For information held by libraries and bookstores, my
> legislation, S. 1158, would restore former law
requiring any
> search to be conducted with a specific warrant tied to
a
> specific suspect. Libraries and bookstores would no
longer be
> subject to broad, unspecific, sweeping National
Security
> Letters and FISA warrants for "tangible things."
>
> I have authored and supported strong efforts to fight
> terrorism, including steps to make air travel and our
ports
> safer. I also believe that law enforcement officials
need
> effective tools to fight terrorist attacks. I have
voted to
> give them many more such tools. However, these tools
should
> not extend to allowing government agents to go into
bookstores
> and libraries to engage in broad, unspecific fishing
> expeditions, potentially jeopardizing the privacy of
all
> library and bookstore patrons.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Barbara Boxer
> United States Senator
>
> ===================================================
>
> For more information on Senator Boxer's record and
other
> information, please go to: http://boxer.senate.gov
>
> If you would like to make a comment regarding this or
any other
> federal matter, please feel free to do so at:
> http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
>
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