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Lawful Interrogation and Detention Act

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S157-158, S159)

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 6, 2009

Lawful Interrogation and Detention Act - Directs the President, within one year after the enactment of this Act, to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and remove all detainees held there.

Requires each such detainee to be either: (1) charged with a violation of U.S. or international law and transferred to an appropriate U.S. facility for further legal proceedings; (2) transferred for trial to an international tribunal operating under United Nations (UN) authority; (3) transferred (under certain conditions) to the custody of the government of the individual's country of citizenship or a different country; (4) released; or (5) held in accordance with the law of the armed conflict.

Prohibits an individual in the custody or control of an element of the intelligence community (IC) or contractor or subcontractor thereof, regardless of the individual's nationality or physical location, from being subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by the U.S. Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations.

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Prohibits the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from allowing a CIA contractor or subcontractor to carry out an interrogation. Requires any interrogation carried out on behalf of the CIA to be conducted only by a CIA employee.

Requires the head of an IC element or a contractor or subcontractor of such element who detains or has custody or control over an individual to notify the International Committee of the Red Cross of such detention, and to provide Red Cross access to such individual in a manner consistent with practices of the Armed Forces.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · D–CA

Committees

  • Intelligence (Select) Committee
3 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S157-158, S159)

  2. Read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence. (text of measure as introduced: CR S133)

  3. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S131-133)

  4. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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