§ 1905. — Disclosure of confidential information generally.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1905]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 93--PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
Sec. 1905. Disclosure of confidential information generally
Whoever, being an officer or employee of the United States or of any
department or agency thereof, any person acting on behalf of the Office
of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, or agent of the Department of
Justice as defined in the Antitrust Civil Process Act (15 U.S.C. 1311-
1314), or being an employee of a private sector organization who is or
was assigned to an agency under chapter 37 of title 5, publishes,
divulges, discloses, or makes known in any manner or to any extent not
authorized by law any information coming to him in the course of his
employment or official duties or by reason of any examination or
investigation made by, or return, report or record made to or filed
with, such department or agency or officer or employee thereof, which
information concerns or relates to the trade secrets, processes,
operations, style of work, or apparatus, or to the identity,
confidential statistical data, amount or source of any income, profits,
losses, or expenditures of any person, firm, partnership, corporation,
or association; or permits any income return or copy thereof or any book
containing any abstract or particulars thereof to be seen or examined by
any person except as provided by law; shall be fined under this title,
or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and shall be removed from
office or employment.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 791; Pub. L. 96-349, Sec. 7(b), Sept.
12, 1980, 94 Stat. 1158; Pub. L. 102-550, title XIII, Sec. 1353, Oct.
28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3970; Pub. L. 104-294, title VI, Sec. 601(a)(8),
Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107-347, title II,
Sec. 209(d)(2), Dec. 17, 2002, 116 Stat. 2930.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on section 176b of title 15, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Commerce and
Trade; section 216 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed.; section 1335 of title
19, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties (R.S. Sec. 3167; Aug. 27, 1894, ch.
349, Sec. 24, 28 Stat. 557; Feb. 26, 1926, ch. 27, Sec. 1115, 44 Stat.
117; June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title III, Sec. 335, 46 Stat. 701; Jan. 27,
1938, ch. 11, Sec. 2, 52 Stat. 8).
Section consolidates section 176b of title 15, U.S.C., 1940 ed.,
Commerce and Trade; section 216 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and
section 1335 of title 19, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties.
Words ``or of any department or agency thereof'' and words ``such
department or agency'' were inserted so as to eliminate any possible
ambiguity as to scope of section. (See definition of ``department'' and
``agency'' in section 6 of this title.)
References to the offenses as misdemeanors, contained in all of said
sections, were omitted in view of definitive section 1 of this title.
The provisions of section 216 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed.,
relating to publication of income tax data by ``any person'', were
omitted as covered by section 55(f)(1) of title 26, U.S.C., 1940 ed.,
Internal Revenue Code.
Minor changes were made in translations and phraseology.
References in Text
The Antitrust Civil Process Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 87-
664, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 548, as amended, which is classified
generally to chapter 34 (Sec. 1311 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and
Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short
Title note set out under section 1311 of Title 15 and Tables.
Amendments
2002--Pub. L. 107-347 inserted ``or being an employee of a private
sector organization who is or was assigned to an agency under chapter 37
of title 5,'' after ``(15 U.S.C. 1311-1314),''.
1996--Pub. L. 104-294 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $1,000''.
1992--Pub. L. 102-550 inserted ``any person acting on behalf of the
Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight,'' after ``or agency
thereof,''.
1980--Pub. L. 96-349 provided for punishment and removal from office
of an agent of the Department of Justice as defined in the Antitrust
Civil Process Act for disclosure of confidential information.
Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 107-347 effective 120 days after Dec. 17, 2002,
see section 402(a) of Pub. L. 107-347, set out as an Effective Date note
under section 3601 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 5 sections 3374, 3704; title 7
sections 136h, 450i, 2009cc-10, 5662; title 15 sections 330b, 771, 773,
796, 1193, 1335a, 2217, 2613; title 21 sections 350c, 355a, 360ll,
360nn; title 26 section 7213; title 29 section 664; title 30 section
1423; title 33 sections 1318, 1320, 1322, 1369, 1513; title 42 sections
300j-4, 2210b, 4912, 5916, 5919, 6274, 6921, 6927, 6991d, 7135, 7412,
7542, 7607, 7621, 9208, 9310, 9604, 9660, 11023, 11042, 13253, 13255,
13293; title 46 section 4309; title 49 sections 106, 1114, 30167, 32307,
32505, 32708, 32912, 33116, 60117.
