[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 135 (Wednesday, August 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3696. Mr. COTTON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 3045, to amend title 31, United States Code, to
establish a safe harbor with respect to keep open letters; which was
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; as
follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cooperate with Law
Enforcement Agencies and Watch Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. SAFE HARBOR WITH RESPECT TO KEEP OPEN LETTERS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``Sec. 5333. Safe harbor with respect to keep open letters
``(a) In General.--With respect to a customer account or
customer transaction of a financial institution, if a
Federal, State, Tribal, or local law enforcement agency
requests, in writing, the financial institution to keep such
account or transaction open--
``(1) the financial institution shall not be liable under
this subchapter for maintaining such account or transaction
consistent with the parameters of the request; and
``(2) no Federal or State department or agency may take any
adverse supervisory action under this subchapter with respect
to the financial institution for maintaining such account or
transaction consistent with the parameters of the request.
``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed--
``(1) from preventing a Federal or State department or
agency from verifying the validity of a written request
described under subsection (a) with the Federal, State,
Tribal, or local law enforcement agency making the written
request; or
``(2) to relieve a financial institution from complying
with any reporting requirements, including the reporting of
suspicious transactions under section 5318(g).
``(c) Letter Termination Date.--For purposes of this
section, any written request described under subsection (a)
shall include a termination date after which such request
shall no longer apply.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for
subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code,
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
5332 the following:
``5333. Safe harbor with respect to keep open letters.''.
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