The USA PATRIOT Act is a federal law (statute) passed in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The official title of the USA PATRIOT Act is: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001.

The purpose of the USA PATRIOT Act is to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world; to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools; and other purposes, some of which include:

• To strengthen U.S. measures to prevent, detect, and prosecute international money laundering and financing of terrorism;

• To subject to special scrutiny foreign jurisdictions, foreign financial institutions, and classes of international transactions or types of accounts that are susceptible to criminal abuse;

• To require all appropriate elements of the financial services industry to report potential money laundering;

• To strengthen measures to prevent use of the U.S. financial system for personal gain by corrupt foreign officials and facilitate repatriation of stolen assets to the citizens of countries to whom such assets belong.

The vast scope of the USA PATRIOT Act can be seen in part from the titles of the sections of the statute:

• Title I—Enhancing Domestic Security Against Terrorism

• Title II—Enhanced Surveillance Procedures

• Title III—International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing

• Title IV—Protecting the Border

• Title V—Removing Obstacles to Investigating Terrorism

• Title VI—Providing for Victims of Terrorism, Public Safety Officers, and Their Families

• Title VII—Increased Information Sharing for Critical Infrastructure Protection

• Title VIII—Strengthening the Criminal Laws Against Terrorism

• Title IX—Improved Intelligence

• Title X—Miscellaneous

The USA PATRIOT Act is a comprehensive federal statute enacted in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with the aim of enhancing national security measures. In Ohio, as in all states, federal law including the USA PATRIOT Act supersedes state law where they may conflict. The Act grants law enforcement and intelligence agencies expanded powers to monitor, investigate, and prosecute acts of terrorism. It includes provisions for deterring and punishing terrorist activities both domestically and internationally, improving surveillance procedures, combating international money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and strengthening border security. The Act also emphasizes the importance of information sharing among various agencies and sectors to protect critical infrastructure and supports victims of terrorism and public safety officers. Ohio's financial institutions and law enforcement agencies are required to comply with the Act's regulations, including reporting potential money laundering and adhering to enhanced surveillance procedures. Attorneys in Ohio may be involved in cases or advisory roles that require a thorough understanding of the USA PATRIOT Act's implications on privacy, civil liberties, and financial regulations.