WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced legislation today to improve the oversight work of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), the presidential advisory board established by Congress to protect the civil liberties of all Americans. He introduced the bill as the House Judiciary Committee considers the USA Freedom Act (H.R. 2048) today to reauthorize and reform certain intelligence gathering programs set to expire in June.
The PCLOB Oversight Enhancement Act would implement a policy recommended following the Snowden revelations to require the intelligence agencies to provide the PCLOB with detailed reports on their surveillance programs.
“The PCLOB has been tasked with protecting our citizens’ civil liberties, but it currently lacks the necessary information from our intelligence community to provide effective oversight,” Himes said. “This legislation would ensure that the PCLOB has the same timely and accurate reports I receive as a member of the Intelligence Committee. As we consider reauthorization of the USA Freedom Act, I will continue advocating for this improvement to ensure that we strike the right balance between protecting our security and respecting our citizens’ rights and privacy.”
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board was established by Congress in 2007 to help balance security and civil liberties in national security policy. However, while intelligence agencies report their activities regularly to the House Intelligence Committee, they are not statutorily required to share these reports with the PCLOB. This has prevented the Board from fully satisfying its Congressionally-mandated responsibilities.