Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent's intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.
Whoever, as a result of having authorized access to classified information, learns the identify of a covert agent and intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent's intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
Whoever, in the course of a pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the foreign intelligence activities of the United States, discloses any information that identifies an individual as a covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such individual and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such individual's classified intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
A term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment.
(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, §601, as added Pub. L. 97–200, §2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 122; amended Pub. L. 106–120, title III, §304(b), Dec. 3, 1999, 113 Stat. 1611; Pub. L. 111–259, title III, §363(a), Oct. 7, 2010, 124 Stat. 2701.)
2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–259, §363(a)(1), substituted “15 years” for “ten years”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–259, §363(a)(2), substituted “10 years” for “five years”.
1999—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–120, §304(b)(2)(A), substituted “shall be fined under title 18” for “shall be fined not more than $50,000”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–120, §304(b)(2)(B), substituted “shall be fined under title 18” for “shall be fined not more than $25,000”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–120, §304(b)(2)(C), substituted “shall be fined under title 18” for “shall be fined not more than $15,000”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–120, §304(b)(1), added subsec. (d).
For short title of this subchapter as the “Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982”, see section 1 of Pub. L. 97–200, set out as a Short Title of 1982 Amendment note under section 401 of this title.
It is a defense to a prosecution under section 421 of this title that before the commission of the offense with which the defendant is charged, the United States had publicly acknowledged or revealed the intelligence relationship to the United States of the individual the disclosure of whose intelligence relationship to the United States is the basis for the prosecution.
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person other than a person committing an offense under section 421 of this title shall be subject to prosecution under such section by virtue of section 2 or 4 of title 18 or shall be subject to prosecution for conspiracy to commit an offense under such section.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply (A) in the case of a person who acted in the course of a pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the foreign intelligence activities of the United States, or (B) in the case of a person who has authorized access to classified information.
It shall not be an offense under section 421 of this title to transmit information described in such section directly to either congressional intelligence committee.
It shall not be an offense under section 421 of this title for an individual to disclose information that solely identifies himself as a covert agent.
(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, §602, as added Pub. L. 97–200, §2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 122; amended Pub. L. 107–306, title III, §353(b)(9), Nov. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 2402.)
2002—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–306 substituted “either congressional intelligence committee” for “the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate or to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives”.
The President, after receiving information from the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees an annual report on measures to protect the identities of covert agents, including an assessment of the need, if any, for modification of this subchapter for the purpose of improving legal protections for covert agents, and on any other matter relevant to the protection of the identities of covert agents. The date for the submittal of the report shall be the date provided in section 415b of this title.
The report described in subsection (a) of this section shall be exempt from any requirement for publication or disclosure.
(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, §603, as added Pub. L. 97–200, §2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 123; amended Pub. L. 107–306, title III, §353(b)(1)(B), title VIII, §811(b)(1)(E), Nov. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 2402, 2422; Pub. L. 108–458, title I, §1071(a)(1)(CC), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3689; Pub. L. 111–259, title III, §363(b), Oct. 7, 2010, 124 Stat. 2702.)
2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–259 inserted “including an assessment of the need, if any, for modification of this subchapter for the purpose of improving legal protections for covert agents,” after “measures to protect the identities of covert agents,”.
2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–458 substituted “Director of National Intelligence” for “Director of Central Intelligence”.
2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–306, §811(b)(1)(E)(i), inserted at end “The date for the submittal of the report shall be the date provided in section 415b of this title.”
Pub. L. 107–306, §353(b)(1)(B), substituted “congressional intelligence committees” for “Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–306, §811(b)(1)(E)(ii), struck out at end “The first such report shall be submitted no later than February 1, 1983.”
For Determination by President that amendment by Pub. L. 108–458 take effect on Apr. 21, 2005, see Memorandum of President of the United States, Apr. 21, 2005, 70 F.R. 23925, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.
Amendment by Pub. L. 108–458 effective not later than six months after Dec. 17, 2004, except as otherwise expressly provided, see section 1097(a) of Pub. L. 108–458, set out in an Effective Date of 2004 Amendment; Transition Provisions note under section 401 of this title.
For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103–7 (in which the 8th item on page 156 identifies a reporting provision which, as subsequently amended, is contained in subsec. (a) of this section), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.
There is jurisdiction over an offense under section 421 of this title committed outside the United States if the individual committing the offense is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (as defined in section 1101(a)(20) of title 8).
(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, §604, as added Pub. L. 97–200, §2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 123.)
Nothing in this subchapter may be construed as authority to withhold information from the Congress or from a committee of either House of Congress.
(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, §605, as added Pub. L. 97–200, §2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 123.)
For the purposes of this subchapter:
(1) The term “classified information” means information or material designated and clearly marked or clearly represented, pursuant to the provisions of a statute or Executive order (or a regulation or order issued pursuant to a statute or Executive order), as requiring a specific degree of protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security.
(2) The term “authorized”, when used with respect to access to classified information, means having authority, right, or permission pursuant to the provisions of a statute, Executive order, directive of the head of any department or agency engaged in foreign intelligence or counterintelligence activities, order of any United States court, or provisions of any Rule of the House of Representatives or resolution of the Senate which assigns responsibility within the respective House of Congress for the oversight of intelligence activities.
(3) The term “disclose” means to communicate, provide, impart, transmit, transfer, convey, publish, or otherwise make available.
(4) The term “covert agent” means—
(A) a present or retired officer or employee of an intelligence agency or a present or retired member of the Armed Forces assigned to duty with an intelligence agency—
(i) whose identity as such an officer, employee, or member is classified information, and
(ii) who is serving outside the United States or has within the last five years served outside the United States; or
(B) a United States citizen whose intelligence relationship to the United States is classified information, and—
(i) who resides and acts outside the United States as an agent of, or informant or source of operational assistance to, an intelligence agency, or
(ii) who is at the time of the disclosure acting as an agent of, or informant to, the foreign counterintelligence or foreign counterterrorism components of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or
(C) an individual, other than a United States citizen, whose past or present intelligence relationship to the United States is classified information and who is a present or former agent of, or a present or former informant or source of operational assistance to, an intelligence agency.
(5) The term “intelligence agency” means the Central Intelligence Agency, a foreign intelligence component of the Department of Defense, or the foreign counterintelligence or foreign counterterrorism components of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(6) The term “informant” means any individual who furnishes information to an intelligence agency in the course of a confidential relationship protecting the identity of such individual from public disclosure.
(7) The terms “officer” and “employee” have the meanings given such terms by section 2104 and 2105, respectively, of title 5.
(8) The term “Armed Forces” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
(9) The term “United States”, when used in a geographic sense, means all areas under the territorial sovereignty of the United States and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
(10) The term “pattern of activities” requires a series of acts with a common purpose or objective.
(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, §606, as added Pub. L. 97–200, §2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 123; amended Pub. L. 106–120, title III, §304(a), Dec. 3, 1999, 113 Stat. 1611.)
1999—Par. (4)(A). Pub. L. 106–120 substituted “a present or retired officer or employee” for “an officer or employee” and “a present or retired member” for “a member”.
For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.