2 USC § 288k - Attorney General relieved of responsibility

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t2/s288k"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "2 USC § 288k - Attorney General relieved of responsibility"
title_number: 2
title_name: "THE CONGRESS"
section_number: "288k"
section_name: "Attorney General relieved of responsibility"
chapter_number: 9
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF SENATE LEGAL COUNSEL"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 95–521, title VII, § 712, Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1883; Pub. L. 107–273, div. A, title II, § 202(b)(2), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1774; Pub. L. 108–7, div. H, title I, § 110(b), Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 355.)"
---


# § 288k. Attorney General relieved of responsibility

**(a)** Upon receipt of written notice that the Counsel has undertaken, pursuant to section 288c(a) of this title, to perform any representational service with respect to any designated party in any action or proceeding pending or to be instituted, the Attorney General shall—

**(1)** be relieved of any responsibility with respect to such representational service;

**(2)** have no authority to perform such service in such action or proceeding except at the request or with the approval of the Senate; and

**(3)** transfer all materials relevant to the representation authorized under section 288c(a) of this title to the Counsel, except that nothing in this subsection shall limit any right of the Attorney General under existing law to intervene or appear as amicus curiae in such action or proceeding.

**(b)** The Attorney General shall notify Counsel as required by section 530D of title 28.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 95–521, title VII, § 712, Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1883; Pub. L. 107–273, div. A, title II, § 202(b)(2), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1774; Pub. L. 108–7, div. H, title I, § 110(b), Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 355.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2003—Subsec. (b).  made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to .

2002—Subsec. (b).  added subsec. (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “The Attorney General shall notify the Counsel with respect to any proceeding in which the United States is a party of any determination by the Attorney General or Solicitor General not to appeal any court decision affecting the constitutionality of an Act or joint resolution of Congress within such time as will enable the Senate to direct the Counsel to intervene as a party in such proceeding pursuant to .”

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2003 Amendment

Amendment by  effective as if included in the enactment of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date

Section effective , see , set out as a note under .