Title 51National and Commercial Space ProgramsRelease 119-73

§20131 Public access to information

Title 51 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - General Program and Policy Provisions › Chapter CHAPTER 201— - NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE PROGRAM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › § 20131

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Administrator must let the public look at information they get or make while doing their job. They do not have to share information that a federal law says to keep secret, information classified for national security, or the special kinds of information described next. For up to 5 years, the Administrator may keep private information that comes from agreements under subsections (e) and (f) of section 20113 if it would be a trade secret or commercial or financial record that is privileged or confidential under section 552(b)(4) of title 5. The Administrator still cannot withhold information from duly authorized committees of Congress.

Full Legal Text

Title 51, §20131

National and Commercial Space Programs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Information obtained or developed by the Administrator in the performance of the Administrator’s functions under this chapter shall be made available for public inspection, except information—
(1)authorized or required by Federal statute to be withheld;
(2)classified to protect the national security; or
(3)described in subsection (b).
(b)(1)The Administrator, for a period of up to 5 years after the development of information described in paragraph (2), may provide appropriate protections against the dissemination of such information, including exemption from subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5.
(2)Information referred to in paragraph (1) is information that results from activities conducted under an agreement entered into under subsections (e) and (f) of section 20113 of this title, and that would be a trade secret or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential under the meaning of section 552(b)(4) of title 5 if the information had been obtained from a non-Federal party participating in such an agreement.
(c)Nothing in this chapter authorizes the withholding of information by the Administrator from the duly authorized committees of Congress.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 20131(a)42 U.S.C. 2454(a) (words before proviso).Pub. L. 85–568, title III, § 303, July 29, 1958, 72 Stat. 433; Pub. L. 102–588, title V, § 509, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5129. 20131(b)42 U.S.C. 2454(b). 20131(c)42 U.S.C. 2454(a) (proviso).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

51 U.S.C. § 20131

Title 51National and Commercial Space Programs

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73