Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA)
An Act to authorize electronic surveillance to obtain foreign intelligence information.
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National Security Law Librarian
Overview
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) was enacted on October 25, 1978 and is codified at 50 U.S.C. ch. 36.
The Act has been amended several times, most notably by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008 (FISA Amendments Act of 2008) on July 10, 2008.
See J. Douglas Wilson & David Kris' National Security Investigations and Prosecutions § 4:2, History and Scope for a summary and detailed information about the Act's other amendments. Also see Kris' "How the FISA Court Really Works" post on Lawfare (9/2/18) for more information about the FISA Court.
- Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Litigation
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Robert Timothy Reagan, Federal Judicial Center (June 2022). "A summary history of FISA litigation in the FISA and Article III courts." - Current proposed legislation
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Track FISA-related bills, if any, pending before the 117th Congress (2021-2022) via Congress.gov. - Compiled Legislative History of PL95-511
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Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, PL95-511, 92 Stat. 1783 (Oct. 25, 1978). - Compiled Legislative History of PL110-261
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Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008, PL110-261, 122 Stat. 2436 (July 10, 2008).
Books
From Mandate to Blueprint: Lessons from Intelligence ReformCall Number: Online via Ebook CentralPublication Date: 2021
American Spies: Modern surveillance, why you should care, and what to do about itCall Number: SL3 KF4850 .G725 2017
Being Watched: Legal challenges to government surveillanceCall Number: SL3 KF5399 .V44 2017
Biometrics Surveillance and the Law: Societies of Restricted Access, Discipline and ControlCall Number: Available online via ProQuest Ebook CentralPublication Date: 2019
The Cambridge Handbook of Surveillance Law by Call Number: Available online via Cambridge University PressPublication Date: 2017
The Future of Foreign Intelligence: Privacy and surveillance in a digital ageCall Number: SL3 KF4850 .D665 2016
Intelligence and State Surveillance in Modern SocietiesCall Number: Available online via ProQuest Ebook CentralPublication Date: 2018
Monitoring Laws: Profiling and identity in the world state by Call Number: Available online via Cambridge CorePublication Date: 2019
National Security Personal Privacy and the Law: Surveying Electronic Surveillance and Data Acquisition by Call Number: Available online via Taylor & Francis eBooksPublication Date: 2019
Privacy and Power: A transatlantic dialogue in the shadow of the NSA-AffairCall Number: Available online via Cambridge CorePublication Date: 2017
Smart Surveillance: How to Interpret the Fourth Amendment in the Twenty-First Century by Call Number: KF5399 .S56 2019
Spy Watching: Intelligence accountability in the United StatesCall Number: Available online via ProQuest Ebook CentralPublication Date: 2018
Surveillance, Privacy and Transatlantic RelationsCall Number: SL2 K3263 .S87 2017
Surveillance and the Law: Language, power, and privacyCall Number: Available online via Taylor & Francis eBooksPublication Date: 2019
Technology and the Intelligence Community: Challenges and advances for the 21st centuryCall Number: SL2 JK468.I6 T43 2018
Terrorism and State Surveillance of CommunicationsCall Number: Available online via Taylor & Francis eBooksPublication Date: 2019
Search Terms
Useful keywords for searching within library catalogs, databases, and websites for information related to FISA include:
- Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
- Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC)
- Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Appeals
- FISA Amendments Act
- Section 702
- Section 215
- Wiretapping
In-depth Research Guides (PDF)
