Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§2278a Trespass on Commission installations

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 23— - DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XVII— - ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER › § 2278a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Commission may make rules about bringing, carrying, or putting dangerous weapons, explosives, or other things that could cause serious harm into any facility, building, or land that it runs, controls, holds, licenses, or certifies. Those rules must be posted where they apply so people can see them. Anyone who purposely breaks one of these posted rules can be fined up to $1,000. If the rulebroken involves a place surrounded by a fence, wall, roof, or other physical barrier, breaking it on purpose is a misdemeanor and can bring a fine up to $5,000, up to one year in jail, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §2278a

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Commission is authorized to issue regulations relating to the entry upon or carrying, transporting, or otherwise introducing or causing to be introduced any dangerous weapon, explosive, or other dangerous instrument or material likely to produce substantial injury or damage to persons or property, into or upon any facility, installation, or real property subject to the jurisdiction, administration, in the custody of the Commission, or subject to the licensing authority of the Commission or certification by the Commission under this chapter or any other Act.
(2)Every such regulation of the Commission shall be posted conspicuously at the location involved.
(b)Whoever shall willfully violate any regulation of the Commission issued pursuant to subsection (a) shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.
(c)Whoever shall willfully violate any regulation of the Commission issued pursuant to subsection (a) with respect to any installation or other property which is enclosed by a fence, wall, floor, roof, or other structural barrier shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not to exceed $5,000 or to imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919, known as the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2005—Pub. L. 109–58, § 654(1), (2), substituted “on” for “upon” in section catchline and realigned margins. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–58, § 654(3), designated first sentence as par. (1), substituted “in the custody of the Commission, or subject to the licensing authority of the Commission or certification by the Commission under this chapter or any other Act” for “or in the custody of the Commission”, and designated second sentence as par. (2).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 2278a

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73