15 U.S.C. 1311–131Whoever, being an officer or employee of the United States or of any department or agency thereof, any person acting on behalf of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or agent of the Department of Justice as defined in the Antitrust Civil Process Act (4), or being an employee of a private sector organization who is or was assigned to an agency under chapter 37 of title 5, publishes, divulges, discloses, or makes known in any manner or to any extent not authorized by law any information coming to him in the course of his employment or official duties or by reason of any examination or investigation made by, or return, report or record made to or filed with, such department or agency or officer or employee thereof, which information concerns or relates to the trade secrets, processes, operations, style of work, or apparatus, or to the identity, confidential statistical data, amount or source of any income, profits, losses, or expenditures of any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or association; or permits any income return or copy thereof or any book containing any abstract or particulars thereof to be seen or examined by any person except as provided by law; shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and shall be removed from office or employment.
June 25, 1948, ch. 64562 Stat. 791Pub. L. 96–349, § 7(b)94 Stat. 1158Pub. L. 102–550, title XIII, § 1353106 Stat. 3970Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8)110 Stat. 3498Pub. L. 107–347, title II, § 209(d)(2)116 Stat. 2930Pub. L. 110–289, div. A, title I, § 1161(d)122 Stat. 2780(, ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , .)
Historical and Revision Notes
section 176b of title 15section 216 of title 18section 1335 of title 19Aug. 27, 1894, ch. 349, § 2428 Stat. 557Feb. 26, 1926, ch. 27, § 111544 Stat. 117June 17, 1930, ch. 49746 Stat. 701Jan. 27, 1938, ch. 11, § 252 Stat. 8Based on , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Commerce and Trade; , U.S.C., 1940 ed.; , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties (R.S. § 3167; , ; , ; , title III, § 335, ; , ).
section 176b of title 15section 216 of title 18section 1335 of title 19Section consolidates , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Commerce and Trade; , U.S.C., 1940 ed., and , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties.
section 6 of this titleWords “or of any department or agency thereof” and words “such department or agency” were inserted so as to eliminate any possible ambiguity as to scope of section. (See definition of “department” and “agency” in .)
section 1 of this titleReferences to the offenses as misdemeanors, contained in all of said sections, were omitted in view of definitive .
section 216 of title 18section 55(f)(1) of title 26The provisions of , U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to publication of income tax data by “any person”, were omitted as covered by , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Internal Revenue Code.
Minor changes were made in translations and phraseology.
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Pub. L. 87–66476 Stat. 548section 1311 of Title 15The Antitrust Civil Process Act, referred to in text, is , , , which is classified principally to chapter 34 (§ 1311 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.
Amendments
Pub. L. 110–2892008— substituted “Federal Housing Finance Agency” for “Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight”.
Pub. L. 107–34715 U.S.C. 1311–1312002— inserted “or being an employee of a private sector organization who is or was assigned to an agency under chapter 37 of title 5,” after “(4),”.
Pub. L. 104–2941996— substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.
Pub. L. 102–5501992— inserted “any person acting on behalf of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight,” after “or agency thereof,”.
Pub. L. 96–3491980— provided for punishment and removal from office of an agent of the Department of Justice as defined in the Antitrust Civil Process Act for disclosure of confidential information.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
Pub. L. 107–347section 402(a) of Pub. L. 107–347section 3601 of Title 44Amendment by effective 120 days after , see , set out as an Effective Date note under , Public Printing and Documents.