Title 50 — War and National DefenseRelease 119-73

§3235a Notice and damage assessment with respect to significant unauthorized disclosure or compromise of classified national intelligence

Title 50 › Chapter CHAPTER 44— - NATIONAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IX— - ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 3235a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When the Director of National Intelligence learns of a real or possible major leak or breach of classified national intelligence, the Director must tell the congressional intelligence committees as soon as possible, but no later than 7 days. If the leak really happened, the Director or the leader of the agency where it started must begin a damage assessment within 7 days using the procedures in Intelligence Community Directive 732 (or its replacement). The notice to Congress must include a short account of what happened, what intelligence was revealed or might have been revealed, an initial estimate of the harm to U.S. national security, and, for actual leaks, which agencies will do the damage assessment. Within 30 days after the damage assessment starts, and every 90 days after that until the assessment is finished (or sooner if Congress asks), the Director must give the committees copies of any disclosed materials and brief them on those materials and the assessment’s status. When the assessment is complete, the Director must send the final report to the committees as soon as possible. If any intelligence agency refers the matter to the Department of Justice, the Director must notify the committees on the same day.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §3235a

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)If the Director of National Intelligence becomes aware of an actual or potential significant unauthorized disclosure or compromise of classified national intelligence—

(A)as soon as practicable, but not later than 7 days after the date on which the Director becomes so aware, the Director shall notify the congressional intelligence committees of such actual or potential disclosure or compromise; and

(B)in the case of an actual disclosure or compromise, not later than 7 days after the date on which the Director becomes so aware, the Director or the head of any element of the intelligence community from which the significant unauthorized disclosure or compromise originated shall initiate a damage assessment consistent with the procedures set forth in Intelligence Community Directive 732 (relating to the conduct of damage assessments), or successor directive, with respect to such disclosure or compromise.

(2)A notification submitted to the congressional intelligence committees under paragraph (1)(A) with respect to an actual or potential significant unauthorized disclosure or compromise of classified national intelligence shall include—

(A)a summary of the facts and circumstances of such disclosure or compromise;

(B)a summary of the contents of the national intelligence revealed or potentially revealed, as the case may be, by such disclosure or compromise;

(C)an initial appraisal of the level of actual or potential damage, as the case may be, to the national security of the United States as a result of such disclosure or compromise; and

(D)in the case of an actual disclosure or compromise, which elements of the intelligence community will be involved in the damage assessment conducted with respect to such disclosure or compromise pursuant to paragraph (1)(B).

(b)(1)Not later than 30 days after the date of the initiation of a damage assessment pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(B), and every 90 days thereafter until the completion of the damage assessment or upon the request of the congressional intelligence committees, the Director of National Intelligence shall—

(A)submit to the congressional intelligence committees copies of any documents or materials disclosed as a result of the significant unauthorized disclosure or compromise of the classified national intelligence that is the subject of the damage assessment; and

(B)provide to the congressional intelligence committees a briefing on such documents and materials and a status of the damage assessment.

(2)As soon as practicable after completing a damage assessment pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(B), the Director of National Intelligence shall submit the final damage assessment to the congressional intelligence committees.

(c)If a referral is made to the Department of Justice from any element of the intelligence community regarding a significant unauthorized disclosure or compromise of classified national intelligence under this section, the Director of National Intelligence shall notify the congressional intelligence committees of the referral on the date such referral is made.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 3235a

Title 50 — War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73