To deter terrorists and protect our American homeland from terrorist attacks, Congress enacted the USA Patriot Act in the 90 days following 9/11. Since then, it has become the foundation for American Homeland Security. The USA Patriot Act now contains a series of requirements that are mandatory for many segments of the American business community. These requirements include customer identity verifications, the filing of reports, and the need for maintaining records potentially useful in connection with criminal, tax and regulatory investigations, and to assist with USA intelligence and counterintelligence efforts.
To put into effect yet another requirement for customer identification, President Bush signed Executive Order 13224 on September 23, 2001, which is even more encompassing. Executive Order 13224 provides that "all property and interests in property of [certain] persons…, or that hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons are blocked." This restriction applies to "any transaction or dealing by [American] persons or within [America] in property or interests in property blocked pursuant to this order...", and prohibits "the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to or for the benefit of [such] persons..."
These two laws now have a direct bearing on the personal security of every American, and a key component of each is the requirement that business owners conduct customer identification verifications.