Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73not60

§10501 Definitions

Title 22 › Chapter 112— COMBATING GLOBAL CORRUPTION › § 10501

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key terms used in the chapter. "Appropriate congressional committees" are the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations; Committee on Appropriations; Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Committee on the Judiciary, and the House’s Committee on Foreign Affairs; Committee on Appropriations; Committee on Financial Services; and Committee on the Judiciary. "Corrupt actor" means a foreign government official or entity involved in corruption, or a company they significantly own that took part. "Corruption" is using public power illegally for private gain (for example, bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement). "Significant corruption" is high-level corruption that distorts major policy or resource decisions or affects large-scale government activity.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §10501

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this chapter:
(1)The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
(A)the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and
(B)the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Financial Services, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
(2)The term “corrupt actor” means—
(A)any foreign person or entity that is a government official or government entity responsible for, or complicit in, an act of corruption; and
(B)any company, in which a person or entity described in subparagraph (A) has a significant stake, which is responsible for, or complicit in, an act of corruption.
(3)The term “corruption” means the unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including by bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement.
(4)The term “significant corruption” means corruption committed at a high level of government that has some or all of the following characteristics:
(A)Illegitimately distorts major decision-making, such as policy or resource determinations, or other fundamental functions of governance.
(B)Involves economically or socially large-scale government activities.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 118–31, div. E, title LIV, § 5401, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 944, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle A (§§ 5401–5406) of title LIV of div. E of Pub. L. 118–31, enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Combating Global Corruption Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 10501

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60