Lawmakers in the US Congress have moved to extend the Patriot Act, two days before the bill was due to expire.

The House of Representatives, by a voice vote, moved to extend the laws through early March to allow time to reach agreement with Senate negotiators on the proposed provisions in an updated version of the bill.

Automatic "sunset" provisions in the bill mean the legislation would expire without new congressional action.

Officials said the US Senate is likely to vote on the measure later this week, just before the Patriot Act's February 3 expiration date.

The bill was already extended once by Congress ahead of its December 31 expiration date, after some members of President George W. Bush's Republican party joined with opposition Democrats to push for greater civil liberties protections.

In his annual State of the Union address late Tuesday, Bush called for renewal of the legislation, telling a joint session of Congress that "the enemy has not lost the desire or capability to attack us".

"I ask you to reauthorize the Patriot Act," Bush told lawmakers.

PHOTO CAPTION

George W. Bush is applauded by Dick Cheney and Dennis Hastert, during his fifth State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (AFP)