PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 25, 2016
International Communications Privacy Act
This bill amends the federal criminal code by allowing a governmental entity to require providers of electronic communication services or remote computing services to disclose the contents of communications in electronic storage (e.g., the cloud), regardless of where those communications are located. Thus, a governmental entity may obtain a warrant for electronic communications stored outside of the United States if certain conditions for obtaining the warrant are met.
The bill allows a governmental entity to obtain those communications only if a court finds that the governmental entity has taken all reasonable steps to establish the nationality and location of the subscriber or customer whose communications are sought and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that such subscriber or customer is a U.S. person, a person physically located within the United States, or a national of a foreign country that has a law enforcement cooperation agreement with the United States.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
The Department of Justice must: (1) establish a process for foreign governments to file mutual legal assistance treaty requests for obtaining access to electronic communications, and (2) publish annually information concerning those requests.
People & committees
Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · R–UT
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.2986 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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