PATRIOT Act
The 2001 statute expanding surveillance and investigative powers after September 11
Overview
Passed six weeks after the September 11 attacks with near unanimous margins, the PATRIOT Act eased intelligence sharing, broadened wiretap and records authorities, and created new terrorism offenses. Its Section 215 bulk metadata program, revealed in 2013, was ended by the USA Freedom Act of 2015, which also imposed sunsets and transparency measures. The statute remains the standing case study in how crises expand state power and how review later claws it back. Several provisions require periodic reauthorization. Sunset clauses forced recurring reauthorization votes that became periodic referendums on surveillance powers.
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