Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§1906 Disclosure of information from a bank examination report

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 93— - PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES › § 1906

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Bank examiners (public or private) and Government Accountability Office employees who see bank exam reports under section 714 of title 31 must not tell anyone else the names of borrowers or the things used as loan collateral for certain banks. This rule covers Federal Reserve member banks, FDIC‑insured banks, branches or agencies of foreign banks, and organizations operating under sections 25 or 25a of the Federal Reserve Act. They may only share that information with the bank’s proper officers, or if they first get written permission from the right regulator (the Comptroller for national banks or Federal branches/agencies; the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve for State member banks, certain State branches/agencies, or section 25/25a organizations; the FDIC for other insured banks), or from the bank’s board of directors. Disclosure is allowed if ordered by a court, directed by Congress or an authorized congressional committee, or allowed under section 714 of title 31. Anyone who breaks this rule can be fined, jailed for up to one year, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §1906

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever, being an examiner, public or private, or a Government Accountability Office employee with access to bank examination report information under section 714 of title 31, discloses the names of borrowers or the collateral for loans of any member bank of the Federal Reserve System, any bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, any branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or any organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) 11 See References in Text note below. of the Federal Reserve Act, examined by him or subject to Government Accountability Office audit under section 714 of title 31 to other than the proper officers of such bank, branch, agency, or organization, without first having obtained the express permission in writing from the Comptroller of the Currency as to a national bank or a Federal branch or Federal agency (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (5) and (6) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as to a State member bank, an uninsured State branch or State agency (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (11) and (12) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) 1 of the Federal Reserve Act, or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as to any other insured bank, including any insured branch (as defined in section 3(s) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act),,22 So in original. or from the board of directors of such bank or organization, except when ordered to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction, or by direction of the Congress of the United States, or either House thereof, or any committee of Congress or either House duly authorized or as authorized by section 714 of title 31 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 594 of title 12, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Banks and Banking (Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6, § 22 [second and third sentences of second paragraph], 38 Stat. 272, 273; Sept. 26, 1918, ch. 177, § 5 [22(b), second paragraph], 40 Stat. 970; Aug. 23, 1935, ch. 614, § 326(b), 49 Stat. 716). Other provisions of section 594 of title 12, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Banks and Banking, were consolidated with similar provisions from other sections, to form section 1909 of this title. Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978, referred to in text, is classified to section 3101 of Title 12, Banks and Banking. section 25 of the Federal Reserve Act, referred to in text, is classified to subchapter I (§ 601 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12. section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, which is classified to subchapter II (§ 611 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12, was renumbered section 25A of that act by Pub. L. 102–242, title I, § 142(e)(2), Dec. 19, 1991, 105 Stat. 2281. section 3(s) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, referred to in text, is classified to section 1813(s) of Title 12.

Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office” in two places. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”. 1990—Pub. L. 101–647 substituted “System, any bank insured” for “System, or bank insured” and inserted “, any branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or any organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation”, “branch, agency, or organization,” after “proper officers of such bank,”, “or a Federal branch or Federal agency (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (5) and (6) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978)” after “national bank”, “, an uninsured State branch or State agency (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (11) and (12) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or an organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act” after “as to a State member bank”, “, including any insured branch (as defined in section 3(s) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act),” after “any other insured bank”, and “or organization” after “board of directors of such bank”. 1982—Pub. L. 97–258 substituted “section 714 of title 31” for “section 117(e) of the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950” wherever appearing. 1978—Pub. L. 95–320 substituted “from a bank examination report” for “by bank examiner” in section catchline and, in text, substituted “public or private, or a General Accounting Office employee with access to bank examination report information under section 117(e) of the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950, discloses” for “public or private, discloses”, “examined by him or subject to General Accounting Office audit under section 117(e) of the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950 to other than” for “, examined by him, to other than”, and “either House duly authorized or as authorized by section 117(e) of the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950 shall be fined” for “either House duly authorized, shall be fined”.

Executive Documents

Exception as to

Transfer of Functions

Functions vested by any provision of law in Comptroller of the Currency, referred to in this section, were not included in

Transfer of Functions

of officers, agencies, and employees of Department of the Treasury to Secretary of the Treasury, made by Reorg. Plan No. 26, of 1950, § 1, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 1906

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73