The Patriot Act expires December 31 2005. Congress is trying to reach an agreement on renewing the act. The most recent proposal includes provisions that have nothing to do with terrorism and deal with things such as tobacco and methamphetamines. It will extend pre-existing elements of the Patriot Act, and add some new and strange twists. Old provisions, such as allowing police to search homes when no one is there and never tell the occupants that they have been searched, will remain intact.