22 USC § 10501 - Definitions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t22/s10501"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "22 USC § 10501 - Definitions"
title_number: 22
title_name: "FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE"
section_number: "10501"
section_name: "Definitions"
chapter_number: 112
chapter_name: "COMBATING GLOBAL CORRUPTION"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 118–31, div. E, title LIV, § 5402, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 944.)"
---


# § 10501. Definitions

In this chapter:

**(1)** The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

**(A)** the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and

**(B)** the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Financial Services, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.

**(2)** The term “corrupt actor” means—

**(A)** any foreign person or entity that is a government official or government entity responsible for, or complicit in, an act of corruption; and

**(B)** any company, in which a person or entity described in subparagraph (A) has a significant stake, which is responsible for, or complicit in, an act of corruption.

**(3)** The term “corruption” means the unlawful exercise of entrusted public power for private gain, including by bribery, nepotism, fraud, or embezzlement.

**(4)** The term “significant corruption” means corruption committed at a high level of government that has some or all of the following characteristics:

**(A)** Illegitimately distorts major decision-making, such as policy or resource determinations, or other fundamental functions of governance.

**(B)** Involves economically or socially large-scale government activities.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 118–31, div. E, title LIV, § 5402, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 944.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title

> “This subtitle [subtitle A (§§ 5401–5406) of title LIV of div. E of
> 
> , enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Combating Global Corruption Act’.”

, , , provided that: