Foreign Advanced Technology Surveillance Accountability Act
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (24 Jun 2020): Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
What this bill does
H.R. 7307, the Foreign Advanced Technology Surveillance Accountability Act, would require the U.S. Department of State to include specific information in its annual human rights reports for other countries. This would involve detailing a country's use of advanced technologies, such as facial recognition and biometric data collection, and how these technologies are used for surveillance. The reports would need to describe if such surveillance leads to arbitrary interference with privacy or restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, association, or other human rights.
The bill specifically asks for information on whether a country enforces laws related to government surveillance, censorship through advanced technologies, or extrajudicial searches of data. It also requires reporting on whether countries have acquired biometric or facial recognition data from others and if government agencies have used technology to target individuals for exercising their human rights or on discriminatory grounds. This would affect foreign governments and the human rights practices reported on them, while also providing more detailed information to Congress and the public.
This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in June 2020 and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. As it is still in the introduction phase, no further actions have been taken. If it were to advance, it would typically go through committee review, potential amendments, and then floor votes in both the House and the Senate before potentially being sent to the President.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Foreign Advanced Technology Surveillance Accountability Act
This bill requires the Department of State to include information on the status of surveillance and use of advanced technology in each foreign country in its annual country reports on human rights practices.
Specifically, the State Department must include in such reports a description of each country's status of excessive surveillance and use of advanced technology (e.g., facial recognition or biometric data collection) to impose arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy or unlawful or unnecessary restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, or other internationally recognized human rights.
Timeline
24 Jun 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 7307 do?
- H.R. 7307, the Foreign Advanced Technology Surveillance Accountability Act, would require the U.S. Department of State to include specific information in its annual human rights reports for other countries. This would involve detailing a country's use of advanced technologies, such as facial recognition and biometric data collection, and how these technologies are used for surveillance. The reports would need to describe if such surveillance leads to arbitrary interference with privacy or restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, association, or other human rights. The bill specifically asks for information on whether a country enforces laws related to government surveillance, censorship through advanced technologies, or extrajudicial searches of data. It also requires reporting on whether countries have acquired biometric or facial recognition data from others and if government agencies have used technology to target individuals for exercising their human rights or on discriminatory grounds. This would affect foreign governments and the human rights practices reported on them, while also providing more detailed information to Congress and the public. This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in June 2020 and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. As it is still in the introduction phase, no further actions have been taken. If it were to advance, it would typically go through committee review, potential amendments, and then floor votes in both the House and the Senate before potentially being sent to the President.
- Has H.R. 7307 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 7307. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 7307?
- H.R. 7307 was sponsored by Rep. Curtis, John R. [R-UT-3] (R-UT), with 4 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 7307?
- Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. (24 Jun 2020).
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