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Title 50 — War and National DefenseRelease 119-73

§3091 General congressional oversight provisions

Title 50 › Chapter CHAPTER 44— - NATIONAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - ACCOUNTABILITY FOR INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES › § 3091

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must keep the congressional intelligence committees fully and currently informed about U.S. intelligence activities, including any major planned operations the law requires to be reported. Committee approval is not needed before activities start. If an intelligence action is illegal, the President must tell the committees right away and explain any steps taken or planned to fix it. The President and the committees must each write procedures to carry out these duties. The House and Senate must set rules, after consulting the Director of National Intelligence, to protect classified information and details about intelligence sources and methods. "Intelligence activities" includes covert actions (see section 3093(e)) and financial intelligence. No one may refuse to share information with the committees by saying that giving it would be an unauthorized disclosure.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §3091

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The President shall ensure that the congressional intelligence committees are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States, including any significant anticipated intelligence activity as required by this subchapter.
(2)Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as requiring the approval of the congressional intelligence committees as a condition precedent to the initiation of any significant anticipated intelligence activity.
(b)The President shall ensure that any illegal intelligence activity is reported promptly to the congressional intelligence committees, as well as any corrective action that has been taken or is planned in connection with such illegal activity.
(c)The President and the congressional intelligence committees shall each establish such written procedures as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.
(d)The House of Representatives and the Senate shall each establish, by rule or resolution of such House, procedures to protect from unauthorized disclosure all classified information, and all information relating to intelligence sources and methods, that is furnished to the congressional intelligence committees or to Members of Congress under this subchapter. Such procedures shall be established in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence. In accordance with such procedures, each of the congressional intelligence committees shall promptly call to the attention of its respective House, or to any appropriate committee or committees of its respective House, any matter relating to intelligence activities requiring the attention of such House or such committee or committees.
(e)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as authority to withhold information from the congressional intelligence committees on the grounds that providing the information to the congressional intelligence committees would constitute the unauthorized disclosure of classified information or information relating to intelligence sources and methods.
(f)As used in this section, the term “intelligence activities” includes covert actions as defined in section 3093(e) of this title, and includes financial intelligence activities.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (e), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, 61 Stat. 495, known as the National Security Act of 1947, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 413 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 501 of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title V, as added Pub. L. 96–450, title IV, § 407(b)(1), Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1981, related to congressional oversight of intelligence activities, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–88, § 602(a)(2).

Amendments

2010—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–259 substituted “such written procedures” for “such procedures”. 2004—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108–458 substituted “Director of National Intelligence” for “Director of Central Intelligence”. 2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–306, § 353(b)(3)(A), substituted “congressional intelligence committees” for “intelligence committees” wherever appearing. Subsec. (a)(2), (3). Pub. L. 107–306, § 353(b)(7), redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “As used in this subchapter, the term ‘congressional intelligence committees’ means the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.” Subsecs. (b) to (e). Pub. L. 107–306, § 353(b)(3)(A), substituted “congressional intelligence committees” for “intelligence committees” wherever appearing. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 107–306, § 342(b), inserted “, and includes financial intelligence activities” before period at end.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2004 AmendmentFor 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 3001 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 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 3091

Title 50 — War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73