United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 3989 (115th)
USA Liberty Act of 2017
Introduced
6 October 2017
Last action
8 November 2017 · Committee
Status
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 27 - 8.
Sponsors
Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6], Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13], Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21], Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18], Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22], Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1], Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8], Rep. Johnson, Mike [R-LA-4], Rep. Pittenger, Robert [R-NC-9]
Subjects
Healthcare, Defence
Source updated
11 August 2025
Summary
Uniting and Strengthening American Liberty Act of 2017 or the USA Liberty Act of 2017 This bill amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to allow the contents of communications by persons outside of the United States to be accessed if the Department of Justice (DOJ) determines there is probable cause to believe that those contents may provide evidence of a crime. Noncontent communication information may be accessed only if DOJ determines that the noncontent information is relevant to an authorized investigation or assessment. DOJ must establish specific procedures when unmasking information is requested. (Unmasking means providing the identity of a U.S. person mentioned in an intelligence report that contains a reference to the person but does not identify the person.) The National Security Act of 1947 is amended to prevent federal employees from taking any personnel action against a contractor employee who has made a lawful disclosure of information that the contractor employee believes provides evidence of a violation of federal law or mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. The bill extends to September 30, 2023, the authorization of title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows DOJ and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to jointly authorize the electronic surveillance of non-U.S. persons who are outside the United States. The bill increases the criminal penalty (from one to up to five years imprisonment) for knowingly removing classified information without authority and with intent to retain such information at an unauthorized location and imposes a criminal penalty of up to one year imprisonment for negligently removing such information. The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and the U.S. classification system.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
6 October 2017
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
6 October 2017
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
6 October 2017
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
16 October 2017
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Source: Committee
20 October 2017
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency.
Source: Committee
8 November 2017
Vote
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 27 - 8.
Source: Committee
8 November 2017
Committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Introduced in House · 6 October 2017 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Introduced in House (text)
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Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 6 October 2017
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 6 October 2017
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 6 October 2017
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Sponsors
- Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Johnson, Mike [R-LA-4] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Pittenger, Robert [R-NC-9] · R · Cosponsor
- · hsju00 · Standing
- · hshm00 · Standing
- · hlig00 · Select
- · hsgo00 · Standing
Related records
- related to ← USA Liberty Act of 2017
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3989
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/115/hr/3989
- us · 115-hr-3989 · source updated 11 August 2025