A House panel overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to stop the bulk collection of U.S. phone records by the National Security Agency.

The 25-2 vote in the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee sends the USA Freedom Act to the House floor for a vote. The two votes against the bill came from lawmakers who had argued for stronger protections for civil liberties.

The legislation is a stronger version of a similar bill that passed the House last May but stalled in the Senate, sponsors said. However, several efforts to further strengthen privacy protections by amending the bill failed in committee. Opponents said changes would upend a carefully crafted compromise with House Republican leaders who have threatened to kill an amended bill.

“The USA Freedom Act ends bulk collection, increases transparency and stops secret laws” made in the U.S. surveillance court, said U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), the primary sponsor of the bill.

Read the Full Article: Source – Computer World
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2917353/technology-law-regulation/house-panel-oks-bill-to-end-nsa-phone-records-program.html

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