Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act

H.R. 3171, known as the Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act, proposes to repeal or sunset several major national security and surveillance laws enacted in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Specifically, the bill would terminate key provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and various executive branch policies regarding attorney-client privilege and government transparency.

If enacted, this bill would restore stricter limits on the government’s ability to monitor private communications, access personal records, and conduct surveillance on religious or political organizations. It would also reverse policies that allow the government to withhold certain documents under the Freedom of Information Act and remove restrictions that prevent non-citizens from working as airport security screeners. The primary impact on citizens would be an increase in legal privacy protections and greater public access to government information, while reducing the broad investigative powers currently held by federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.