10 U.S.C. § 915: Art. 115. Communicating threats

Summary

People under military law who wrongfully threaten to hurt someone, damage their property, or harm their reputation can be punished by a court-martial. Threats that say the harm will come from one of four things—(1) an explosive, (2) a weapon of mass destruction, (3) a biological or chemical agent or weapon, or (4) a hazardous material—are also punishable. Intentionally sending a false threat about using any of those four is punishable too. A "false threat" means the speaker knew it was false when they said it.

Title 10, §915

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Communicating Threats Generally.—

Any person subject to this chapter who wrongfully communicates a threat to injure the person, property, or reputation of another shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

(b)Communicating Threat to Use Explosive, etc.—

Any person subject to this chapter who wrongfully communicates a threat to injure the person or property of another by use of (1) an explosive, (2) a weapon of mass destruction, (3) a biological or chemical agent, substance, or weapon, or (4) a hazardous material, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

(c)Communicating False Threat Concerning Use of Explosive, etc.—

Any person subject to this chapter who maliciously communicates a false threat concerning injury to the person or property of another by use of (1) an explosive, (2) a weapon of mass destruction, (3) a biological or chemical agent, substance, or weapon, or (4) a hazardous material, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. As used in the preceding sentence, the term “false threat” means a threat that, at the time the threat is communicated, is known to be false by the person communicating the threat.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 91550:709.May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 115), 64 Stat. 139.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 114–328 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to the offense of malingering. See section 883 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2016 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing

Regulations

and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.

§915 Art. 115. Communicating Threats