42 USC § 2271 - General provisions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s2271"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 2271 - General provisions"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "2271"
section_name: "General provisions"
chapter_number: 23
chapter_name: "DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY"
subchapter_number: "XVII"
subchapter_name: "ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 221, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 958; amended Pub. L. 91–161, § 5, Dec. 24, 1969, 83 Stat. 445; Pub. L. 101–647, title XII, § 1211, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4833; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2944.)"
---


# § 2271. General provisions

**(a)** **Authority of President to utilize Government agencies** To protect against the unlawful dissemination of Restricted Data and to safeguard facilities, equipment, materials, and other property of the Commission, the President shall have authority to utilize the services of any Government agency to the extent he may deem necessary or desirable.

**(b)** **Criminal violations** The Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice shall investigate all alleged or suspected criminal violations of this chapter.

**(c)** **Violations of this chapter** *Provided, however*

No action shall be brought against any individual or person for any violation under this chapter unless and until the Attorney General of the United States has advised the Commission with respect to such action and no such action shall be commenced except by the Attorney General of the United States: , That nothing in this subsection shall be construed as applying to administrative action taken by the Commission.

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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 221, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 958; amended Pub. L. 91–161, § 5, Dec. 24, 1969, 83 Stat. 445; Pub. L. 101–647, title XII, § 1211, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4833; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2944.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (c), was in the original “this Act”, meaning , as added by , , known as the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under  and Tables.

### Amendments

1990—Subsec. (c).  struck out “That no action shall be brought under section 2272, 2273, 2274, 2275, or 2276 of this title except by the express direction of the Attorney General: ,” after “,”.

1969—Subsec. (c).  provided that nothing in this subsection should be construed to apply to administrative action taken by the Commission.