S. 3369: Empowering Law Enforcement to Keep America Safe Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-09-21 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-09-21 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Empowering Law Enforcement to Keep America Safe Act of 2016

Plain summary

Empowering Law Enforcement to Keep America Safe Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the categories of subscriber transactional records that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may request from wire or electronic communication service providers about a person or entity for an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. Under current law, the FBI may request a person's or an entity's name, address, length of service, and telephone toll billing records. The bill allows the FBI to also request: email addresses, telephone numbers, instrument numbers, or other account identifying information; means and sources of payment (including card or bank account information); account numbers, login history, service start dates, or types of services; IP addresses or network addresses; or communication addressing, routing, or transmission information (excluding cell tower information), session times, or durations for an electronic communication. The bill prohibits the FBI from requesting the contents of an electronic communication. The bill also amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to make permanent the government's authority to track a non-U.S. person who engages in international terrorism or preparatory activities (commonly referred to as a "lone wolf") under the same evidentiary standards that apply to an agent of a foreign power under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. (Currently, this provision is scheduled to expire on December 15, 2019.)

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Empowering Law Enforcement to Keep America Safe Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s3369.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s3369 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114