Title 44 — Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-73

§2209 Disclosure requirement for official business conducted using non-official electronic messaging accounts

Title 44 › Chapter CHAPTER 22— - PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS › § 2209

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President, the Vice President, and certain White House staff must not create or send an official Presidential or Vice Presidential record from a personal or non-official messaging account unless they either copy an official account when they send it or send a full copy to an official account within 20 days of the original message. If a covered employee intentionally breaks this rule and their supervisor finds it so, they can be disciplined under chapter 75 of title 5 (subchapters I, II, or V). Covered employee: immediate staff of the President or Vice President and people or units in the Executive Office of the President or Office of the Vice President who advise or assist them. Electronic messages: email and similar messaging used to communicate. Electronic messaging account: any account that sends those messages.

Full Legal Text

Title 44, §2209

Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The President, the Vice President, or a covered employee may not create or send a Presidential or Vice Presidential record using a non-official electronic message account unless the President, Vice President, or covered employee—

(1)copies an official electronic messaging account of the President, Vice President, or covered employee in the original creation or transmission of the Presidential record or Vice Presidential record; or

(2)forwards a complete copy of the Presidential or Vice Presidential record to an official electronic messaging account of the President, Vice President, or covered employee not later than 20 days after the original creation or transmission of the Presidential or Vice Presidential record.

(b)The intentional violation of subsection (a) by a covered employee (including any rules, regulations, or other implementing guidelines), as determined by the appropriate supervisor, shall be a basis for disciplinary action in accordance with subchapter I, II, or V of chapter 75 of title 5, as the case may be.

(c)In this section:

(1)The term “covered employee” means—

(A)the immediate staff of the President;

(B)the immediate staff of the Vice President;

(C)a unit or individual of the Executive Office of the President whose function is to advise and assist the President; and

(D)a unit or individual of the Office of the Vice President whose function is to advise and assist the Vice President.

(2)The term “electronic messages” means electronic mail and other electronic messaging systems that are used for purposes of communicating between individuals.

(3)The term “electronic messaging account” means any account that sends electronic messages.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

44 U.S.C. § 2209

Title 44 — Public Printing and Documents

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73