50 USC § 1881h - Penalties for unauthorized disclosure

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t50/s1881h"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "50 USC § 1881h - Penalties for unauthorized disclosure"
title_number: 50
title_name: "WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE"
section_number: "1881h"
section_name: "Penalties for unauthorized disclosure"
chapter_number: 36
chapter_name: "FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE"
subchapter_number: "VI"
subchapter_name: "ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES REGARDING CERTAIN PERSONS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 95–511, title VII, § 709, as added Pub. L. 118–49, § 13(c), Apr. 20, 2024, 138 Stat. 882.)"
---


# § 1881h. Penalties for unauthorized disclosure

**(a)** **Offense** A person is guilty of an offense under this section if that person knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information that contains the contents of any communication acquired under this subchapter to which a known United States person is a party.

**(b)** **Penalty** A person guilty of an offense in this section shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 8 years, or both.

**(c)** **Jurisdiction** There is Federal jurisdiction over an offense under this section if the person committing the offense was an officer or employee of the United States at the time the offense was committed.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 95–511, title VII, § 709, as added Pub. L. 118–49, § 13(c), Apr. 20, 2024, 138 Stat. 882.)

### Repeal of Section

, , , as amended by , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , provided that, except as provided in , set out as a note under , effective , this section is repealed.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of Repeal

, , , as amended by , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , provided that, except as provided in , set out as a Transition Procedures note under , the repeals made by section 403(b)(1) are effective .