From AALL’s Washington Blawg:
Yesterday, the USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 3845) was reported favorably out of the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 16-10. During the mark-up, the Committee adopted Chairman Conyers’ manager’s amendment that tightens the standards for issuing National Security Letters and adopts important new reporting, audit and oversight provisions. Unfortunately, the committee also adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-29) that struck the “specific and articulable facts” language for Sec. 215 orders.