The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 is a U.S. federal law that establishes procedures for the physical and electronic surveillance and collection of foreign intelligence information concerning foreign powers, agents of foreign powers, and international terrorists. It was enacted in response to revelations of widespread surveillance abuses by U.S. intelligence agencies during the 1970s, as highlighted by the Church Committee. FISA created the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), a secret federal court that reviews and authorizes surveillance warrants. The law aims to balance national security needs with protections for civil liberties, particularly the Fourth Amendment rights of U.S. persons. It has been significantly amended over time, including by the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks, which expanded the FBI's surveillance powers, allowed for roving wiretaps, and introduced national security letters for obtaining records without court oversight. Further amendments, such as the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, authorized warrantless surveillance of foreign targets under Section 702, impacting bulk collection of communications. FISA has been controversial for enabling expansive government surveillance, leading to debates on privacy, oversight, and potential abuses, with ongoing renewals and reforms like the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 limiting bulk metadata collection.