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The USA PATRIOT Act The Patriot Act was passed on October 26, 2001. Only 15 days after September 11, President Bush with the help of his staff rushed this legislation through congress (this makes one wonder if the bill had already been written and was just collecting dust until an opportunity arose to get it passed without being scrutinized.) Only later did legislators admit they did not get a chance to properly look over the bill. The title of the USA PATRIOT Act is an acronym, “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” The irony of this bill is that despite it’s title it may be the most UN-patriotic thing any administration has ever dreamed of. Specifically, the act: 1. Creates several new crimes, like bulk cash smuggling and attacking mass transportation systems. 2. Expands prohibitions involving biological weapons and possession of biological agents and toxins. 3. Lifts the statute of limitations on prosecuting some terrorism crimes. 4. Increases penalties for some crimes. 5. Requires background checks for licenses to transport hazardous materials. 6. Expands money laundering laws and places more procedural requirements on banks.