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Bill That Would End NSL Subpoenas Passes Out of Judiciary Committee
By Colby Adams
printThe U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday that would potentially discontinue use of a controversial emergency law enforcement subpoena by 2012. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the bill, called the USA Patriot Act Sunset Extension Act, in September to renew authorizations of roving wiretaps, surveillance powers over domestic terror suspects, and Section 215 subpoenas, which give law enforcement special access to business records. The bill also adds, for the first time, a 2012 "sunset provision" that would give an end date to the national security letter (NSL) powers granted to law enforcement agencies by the 2001 Patriot...
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