Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-102
§2274 Communication of Restricted Data
Title 42 › CHAPTER 23 — DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY › SUBCHAPTER XVII — ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER › § 2274
Summary
Anyone who has or is trusted with documents or information that include Restricted Data must not share or plan to share them. With intent to harm the United States or help a foreign nation: punishment can be life or any term of years in prison and/or up to a $100,000 fine. If the person only has reason to believe the data will be used that way: up to 10 years and/or up to a $50,000 fine.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §2274
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, lawfully or unlawfully, having possession of, access to, control over, or being entrusted with any document, writing, sketch, photograph, plan, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information involving or incorporating Restricted Data—
(a)communicates, transmits, or discloses the same to any individual or person, or attempts or conspires to do any of the foregoing, with intent to injure the United States or with intent to secure an advantage to any foreign nation, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for life, or by imprisonment for any term of years or a fine of not more than $100,000 or both;
(b)communicates, transmits, or discloses the same to any individual or person, or attempts or conspires to do any of the foregoing, with reason to believe such data will be utilized to injure the United States or to secure an advantage to any foreign nation, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $50,000 or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2000—Cl. (b). Pub. L. 106–398 substituted “$50,000” for “$500,000”. 1999—Cl. (a). Pub. L. 106–65, § 3148(a)(1), substituted “$100,000” for “$20,000”. Cl. (b). Pub. L. 106–65, § 3148(a)(2), substituted “$500,000” for “$10,000”. 1969—Pub. L. 91–161 made death penalty inapplicable for willful violation, or attempted violation of this section with intent to injure the United States, or secure an advantage for any foreign nation.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2000 Amendment Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title X, § 1087(g)(9)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–294, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective as of Oct. 5, 1999.
Effective Date
of 1969 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–161 applicable to offenses committed on or after Dec. 24, 1969, see section 7 of Pub. L. 91–161, set out as a note under section 2272 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 2274
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102