Title 1General ProvisionsRelease 119-73

§112a United States Treaties and Other International Agreements; contents; admissibility in evidence

Title 1 › Chapter CHAPTER 2— - ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS; FORMALITIES OF ENACTMENT; REPEALS; SEALING OF INSTRUMENTS › § 112a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must collect, edit, index, and publish a book called "United States Treaties and Other International Agreements" starting January 1, 1950. It must include every treaty the United States proclaims each year and every other international agreement the United States signs, proclaims, or finishes each year. That published book counts as legal proof of those treaties, agreements, and presidential proclamations in all U.S. courts, state courts, and U.S. territories and possessions. The State Department must also give copies, on request, of international agreements and certain non-binding documents it has but did not publish, except for the agreements described in section 112b(b)(3)(A).

Full Legal Text

Title 1, §112a

General Provisions — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of State shall cause to be compiled, edited, indexed, and published, beginning as of January 1, 1950, a compilation entitled “United States Treaties and Other International Agreements,” which shall contain all treaties to which the United States is a party that have been proclaimed during each calendar year, and all international agreements other than treaties to which the United States is a party that have been signed, proclaimed, or with reference to which any other final formality has been executed, during each calendar year. The said United States Treaties and Other International Agreements shall be legal evidence of the treaties, international agreements other than treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and agreements, therein contained, in all the courts of the United States, the several States, and the Territories and insular possessions of the United States.
(b)Copies of international agreements and qualifying non-binding instruments in the possession of the Department of State, but not published, other than the agreements described in section 112b(b)(3)(A), shall be made available by the Department of State upon request.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 117–263 added subsec. (b) and struck out former subsecs. (b) to (d) which related to determination that publication of certain categories of agreements is not required, publication of such determination in the Federal Register, and timely availability of certain treaties and international agreements on the Department of State website. 2004—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108–458 added subsec. (d). 1994—Pub. L. 103–236 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) and (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2022 Amendment Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIX, § 5947(c), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3482, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section, section 112b of this title, and section 195c of Title 6, Domestic Security] shall take effect on the date that is 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2022].”

Effective Date

of 2004 Amendment Pub. L. 108–458, title VII, § 7122, Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3808, provided that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act [see Tables for classification], this subtitle [subtitle A (§§ 7101–7122) of title VII of Pub. L. 108–458, enacting section 2228, 2732, 3922b, 4029, 7536a, and 7555 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse, amending this section, section 112b of this title, section 1189 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality, section 2651a, 2656f, 4003, 7513, 7514, 7518, 7536, 7537, 7538, and 7554 of Title 22, and section 4605 of Title 50, War and National Defense, repealing section 2374 of Title 22, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 1189 of Title 8, section 1431, 2451, 2452, 2651a, 2656, 2656f, 7501, 7511, 7513, 7514, and 7536 of Title 22, and section 4605 of Title 50, and amending provisions set out as a note under section 112b of this title] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 17, 2004].” Effect of Repeal of section 73 of Act Jan. 12, 1895This section and section 112 of this title as not affected by the repeal of section 73 of act Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, 28 Stat. 615, which related to the same subject matter, see section 56(i) of act Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, 65 Stat. 729. Written Requests for DocumentsCopies of United States Treaties and Other International Agreements not available to Senators or Representatives unless specifically requested by them, in writing, see Pub. L. 94–59, title VIII, § 801, July 25, 1975, 89 Stat. 296, set out as a note under section 1317 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

1 U.S.C. § 112a

Title 1General Provisions

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73