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Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-110

§421 Additional Provisions with Respect to the Department of Energy

Title 5 › PART I — THE AGENCIES GENERALLY › CHAPTER 4 — INSPECTORS GENERAL › § 421

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Energy can stop the Department of Energy Inspector General from seeing certain restricted nuclear information and intelligence when the Secretary thinks it is needed to protect U.S. national security or to prevent significant harm to national security interests. If the Secretary uses this power, they must tell the Inspector General in writing within 7 days and explain why. After getting that notice, the Inspector General must send a statement about the action to the appropriate congressional committees within 30 days.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §421

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authority To Prohibit Access to Certain Materials.—
The Secretary of Energy may prohibit the Inspector General of the Department of Energy from accessing Restricted Data and nuclear safeguards information protected from disclosure under chapter 12 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2161 et seq.) and intelligence or counterintelligence, as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003), if the Secretary of Energy determines that the prohibition is necessary to protect the national security or prevent the significant impairment to the national security interests of the United States.
(b)Notification to Inspector General and Statement to Congress.—
Not later than 7 days after the date on which the Secretary of Energy exercises any power authorized under subsection (a), the Secretary shall notify the Inspector General of the Department of Energy in writing of the reasons for such exercise. Within 30 days after receipt of any such notice, the Inspector General of the Department of Energy shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a statement concerning such exercise.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Amendments

Not Shown in TextThis section was derived from section 8N of the Inspector General Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95–452, which was set out in the former Appendix to this title, and as it existed as of Oct. 19, 2021. section 8N of Pub. L. 95–452 was amended by Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LII, § 5272(8), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3241, prior to being repealed and reenacted as this section by Pub. L. 117–286, §§ 3(b), 7, Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4252, 4361. For applicability of those

Amendments

to this section, see section 5(b) of Pub. L. 117–286, set out in a Transitional and

Savings Provision

s note preceding section 101 of this title. section 8N of Pub. L. 95–452 was amended in subsection (b) by striking “committees of Congress” and inserting “congressional committees”. For definition of “appropriate congressional committees”, which would result from application of the amendment by Pub. L. 117–263, see

Amendments

Not Shown in Text note set out under section 401 of this title.

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4215 U.S.C. App. (IGA § 8N)Pub. L. 95–452, § 8N, as added Pub. L. 114–317, § 6(7), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1604.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, referred to in subsec. (a), is act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919. Chapter 12 of the Act is classified generally to subchapter XI (§ 2161 et seq.) of chapter 23 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of Title 42 and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 421

Title 5, Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110