PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 12, 2017
Liberty Through Strength Act
This bill gives the National Security Agency (NSA) access to business records, telephone call records, and other tangible items collected prior to November 29, 2015, under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) in the same manner and for the same purposes for which the NSA had access to such records prior to such date. This access is in effect for five years.
The bill amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to make permanent the expiring FISA provision that allows wiretap orders that follow the surveillance target rather than the phone (known as "roving wiretaps").
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The bill amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to make permanent the expiring FISA provision that revises the definition of "agent of a foreign power" to include any non-U.S. persons who engage in international terrorism or preparatory activities.
The bill amends the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to make permanent title VII of FISA, which allows the Department of Justice 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 federal criminal code is amended to expand the categories of transactional records that the Federal Bureau of Investigation may request from wire or electronic communication service providers about a person or entity for an authorized investigation.
People & committees
Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] · R–AR
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze S.1339 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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