Privacy Board should also receive surveillance reports, says Rep. Himes, of Connecticut

Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, has introduced legislation that would require that reports submitted to the Congress under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 must also be submitted to the federal government’s Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

The Board is an independent, bipartisan agency within the executive branch established by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act, which was signed into law in August 2007. Comprised of four part-time members and a full-time chairman, the Board is vested with two fundamental authorities: (1) To review and analyze actions the executive branch takes to protect the nation from terrorism, ensuring the need for such actions is balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties, and (2) To ensure that liberty concerns are appropriately considered in the development and implementation of laws, regulations, and policies related to efforts to protect the nation against terrorism.

The bill, H.R. 4499, was referred on April 28 to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee.

Currently, Rep. Himes has no cosponsors for this piece of legislation.