Title 6, Domestic SecurityRelease 119-110

§122 Access to Information

Title 6 › CHAPTER 1 — HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › SUBCHAPTER II — INFORMATION ANALYSIS › Part A — Information and Analysis; Access to Information › § 122

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must be allowed to see all reports, analyses, and even raw intelligence about terrorist threats to the United States and about U.S. infrastructure or other vulnerabilities that any federal agency collects or holds, unless the President says otherwise. The Secretary can ask for material, make regular sharing agreements with other agencies, and get access to databases. All federal agencies must quickly give the Secretary reports, assessments, vulnerability information, and other significant threat material the President directs. For certain sharing rules, the Secretary is treated like a federal law enforcement, intelligence, protective, national defense, immigration, and national security official and must receive information that would be given to the Director of National Intelligence under the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (Public Law 107–56), section 2517(6) of title 18, and Rule 6(e)(3)(C) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The Secretary should also work with the Director of National Intelligence to share terrorism-related information appropriately with other federal agencies, the intelligence community (see 50 U.S.C. 3003(4)), and state and local governments.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §122

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
(1)Threat and vulnerability information
Except as otherwise directed by the President, the Secretary shall have such access as the Secretary considers necessary to all information, including reports, assessments, analyses, and unevaluated intelligence relating to threats of terrorism against the United States and to other areas of responsibility assigned by the Secretary, and to all information concerning infrastructure or other vulnerabilities of the United States to terrorism, whether or not such information has been analyzed, that may be collected, possessed, or prepared by any agency of the Federal Government.
(2)Other information
The Secretary shall also have access to other information relating to matters under the responsibility of the Secretary that may be collected, possessed, or prepared by an agency of the Federal Government as the President may further provide.
(b)Manner of access
Except as otherwise directed by the President, with respect to information to which the Secretary has access pursuant to this section— (1)
(2)regardless of whether the Secretary has made any request or entered into any cooperative arrangement pursuant to paragraph (1), all agencies of the Federal Government shall promptly provide to the Secretary—
(A)all reports (including information reports containing intelligence which has not been fully evaluated), assessments, and analytical information relating to threats of terrorism against the United States and to other areas of responsibility assigned by the Secretary;
(B)all information concerning the vulnerability of the infrastructure of the United States, or other vulnerabilities of the United States, to terrorism, whether or not such information has been analyzed;
(C)all other information relating to significant and credible threats of terrorism against the United States, whether or not such information has been analyzed; and
(D)such other information or material as the President may direct.
(c)Treatment under certain laws
The Secretary shall be deemed to be a Federal law enforcement, intelligence, protective, national defense, immigration, or national security official, and shall be provided with all information from law enforcement agencies that is required to be given to the Director of National Intelligence, under any provision of the following:
(1)The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (Public Law 107–56).
(2)section 2517(6) of title 18.
(3)Rule 6(e)(3)(C) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
(d)Access to intelligence and other information
(1)Access by elements of Federal Government
Nothing in this subchapter shall preclude any element of the intelligence community (as that term is defined in section 3003(4) of title 50, or any other element of the Federal Government with responsibility for analyzing terrorist threat information, from receiving any intelligence or other information relating to terrorism.
(2)Sharing of information
The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall work to ensure that intelligence or other information relating to terrorism to which the Department has access is appropriately shared with the elements of the Federal Government referred to in paragraph (1), as well as with State and local governments, as appropriate.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is Pub. L. 107–56, Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 272, known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 or the USA PATRIOT Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 2001 Amendment note set out under section 1 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and Tables. The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, referred to in subsec. (c)(3), are set out in the Appendix to Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure. This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (d)(1), was in the original “this title”, meaning title II of Pub. L. 107–296, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2145, which enacted this subchapter, amended section 1030, 2511, 2512, 2520, 2701 to 2703, and 3125 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, section 10102 and 10122 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law

Enforcement

, and section 3003 of Title 50, War and National Defense, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 101 of this title and listed in a Provisions for Review, Promulgation, or Amendment of Federal Sentencing Guidelines Relating to Specific Offenses table set out under section 994 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. For complete classification of title II to the Code, see Tables.

Amendments

2018—Subsecs. (c), (d)(2). Pub. L. 115–278 substituted “Director of National Intelligence” for “Director of Central Intelligence”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 122

Title 6, Domestic Security

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110