§3164 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines key words used in this part. Authorized investigative agency is an agency allowed by law or regulation to do counterintelligence checks or background investigations of people who are being considered for access to classified information. Classified information is information the government has decided needs protection under Executive Order No. 12356 of April 2, 1982, or later orders, or under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). Consumer reporting agency has the meaning given in 15 U.S.C. 1681a. Employee means someone paid by the U.S. government, a government contractor or their employee, an unpaid government consultant, or anyone acting for the government, unless the President says otherwise. Financial agency and financial institution have the meanings in 31 U.S.C. 5312(a), and holding company has the meaning in 12 U.S.C. 3401(6). Foreign power and agent of a foreign power have the meanings in section 1801(a) and (b). State includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and any other U.S. possession. Computer means any high-speed electronic, magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or similar device that processes, stores, or transmits data, plus related storage or communications facilities and the data they hold.

Title 50, §3164

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of this subchapter—

(1)the term “authorized investigative agency” means an agency authorized by law or regulation to conduct a counterintelligence investigation or investigations of persons who are proposed for access to classified information to ascertain whether such persons satisfy the criteria for obtaining and retaining access to such information;

(2)the term “classified information” means any information that has been determined pursuant to Executive Order No. 12356 of April 2, 1982, or successor orders, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 [42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.], to require protection against unauthorized disclosure and that is so designated;

(3)the term “consumer reporting agency” has the meaning given such term in section 1681a of title 15;

(4)the term “employee” includes any person who receives a salary or compensation of any kind from the United States Government, is a contractor of the United States Government or an employee thereof, is an unpaid consultant of the United States Government, or otherwise acts for or on behalf of the United States Government, except as otherwise determined by the President;

(5)the terms “financial agency” and “financial institution” have the meanings given to such terms in section 5312(a) of title 31 and the term “holding company” has the meaning given to such term in section 3401(6) of title 12;

(6)the terms “foreign power” and “agent of a foreign power” have the same meanings as set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of section 1801, respectively, of this title;

(7)the term “State” means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau, and any other possession of the United States; and

(8)the term “computer” means any electronic, magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or other high speed data processing device performing logical, arithmetic, or storage functions, and includes any data storage facility or communications facility directly related to or operating in conjunction with such device and any data or other information stored or contained in such device.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Order No. 12356, referred to in par. (2), which was formerly set out as a note under section 435 (now section 3161) of this title, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12958, § 6.1(d), Apr. 17, 1995, 60 F.R. 19843. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, referred to in par. (2), is act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§ 2011 et seq.) 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. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 438 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2023—Par. (6). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted “subsections (a) and (b) of section 1801” for “section 1801(a) and (b)”. 1999—Par. (8). Pub. L. 106–120 added par. (8).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 180 days after Oct. 14, 1994, see section 802(c) of Pub. L. 103–359, set out as a note under section 3161 of this title.

§3164 Definitions