As Reported by the House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
H. C. R. No. 31


Representatives Brenner, Duffey 

Cosponsors: Representatives Young, Adams, J., Hood, Becker, Hottinger, Retherford, DeVitis, Maag, Roegner, Ruhl, Buchy 



A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To urge the United States Congress to investigate 1
whether the National Security Agency has engaged 2
in unconstitutional surveillance of United States 3
citizens.4


BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):


       WHEREAS, During the past seven years, the National Security 5
Agency has obtained secret court orders to require telephone 6
companies such as Verizon Communications to provide the Agency 7
with daily logs of all telephone communications, whether between 8
the United States and abroad or wholly within the United States, 9
including local calls; and10

       WHEREAS, During the past six years, under the PRISM program, 11
the National Security Agency has obtained secret court orders to 12
require internet companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple to 13
provide the Agency with direct access to a wide range of user 14
information, including communications sent by American citizens to 15
persons outside the United States; and16

       WHEREAS, The Fourth Amendment to the United States 17
Constitution guarantees the right of the people to be free from 18
unreasonable searches and seizures and prohibits the government 19
from issuing a warrant without probable cause and a particular 20
description of the place to be searched and the persons or things 21
to be seized; and22

       WHEREAS, Federal law prescribes the very limited conditions 23
under which the government may conduct covert surveillance of 24
foreign powers, and does not permit the government 25
indiscriminately to seize records concerning Americans; and26

       WHEREAS, The United States Congress should have publicly 27
debated the constitutionality of the National Security Agency's 28
surveillance measures; now therefore be it29

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 30
of the State of Ohio, urge the United States Congress to 31
investigate whether the National Security Agency has engaged in 32
unconstitutional surveillance of United States citizens; and be it 33
further34

       RESOLVED, That we urge all federal agencies to obtain search 35
warrants only through transparent, open, and constitutional court 36
proceedings; and be it further37

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 38
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 39
President of the United States, the Director of the National 40
Security Agency, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States 41
House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and the 42
Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of the Ohio 43
Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio.44