Title: USA PATRIOT Act | Facts, History, Acronym, & Controversy | Britannica
Headings: USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
United States [2001]
WRITTEN BY
History
Provisions

Content: The USA PATRIOT Act, as amended and reauthorized from 2003, made numerous changes to existing statutes relating to the privacy of telephone and electronic communications, the operation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, money laundering, immigration, and other areas. It also defined a host of new crimes and increased penalties for existing ones. George W. Bush: signing of USA PATRIOT Act
Pres. George W. Bush signing the USA PATRIOT Act in the East Room of the White House, Washington, D.C., October 26, 2001. George W. Bush Library/NARA
History
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration submitted to Congress draft legislation designed to expand the powers of the government to surveil, investigate, and detain suspected terrorists. The eventual Senate bill, the Uniting and Strengthening America (USA) Act, was passed (96–1) on October 11. The House measure, which included much of the text of the Senate’s USA Act, was passed (337–79) on October 12 as the Uniting and Strengthening America (USA) Act. On October 23 the House introduced a compromise bill, the USA PATRIOT Act, which was passed (357–66) the following day. The Senate adopted (98–1) the House bill without amendment on October 25, and the following day Bush signed the measure into law.