The document summarizes the history of US legislation authorizing wiretapping and electronic surveillance. It discusses that wiretapping was originally a felony but was ruled legal by the Supreme Court in 1928. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, also known as the Wiretap Act, prohibited unauthorized wiretapping but established procedures for law enforcement to obtain warrants. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 extended these protections to electronic communications. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed after 9/11, expanded the surveillance capabilities of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.