Proposed Change to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) under S. 113

The Senate recently passed S. 113, a bill in the 108th Congress to extend the coverage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ("FISA") to non-United States persons who engage in international terrorism or activities in preparation for international terrorism, without a showing of membership in or affiliation with an international terrorist group. FISA provides a means by which the government can obtain approval to conduct electronic surveillance (wiretap) and other searches with respect to a foreign power or its agents in order to obtain intelligence related to espionage, terrorism, or other matters involving national security.