50 USC § 3501 - Definitions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t50/s3501"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "50 USC § 3501 - Definitions"
title_number: 50
title_name: "WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE"
section_number: "3501"
section_name: "Definitions"
chapter_number: 46
chapter_name: "CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 20, 1949, ch. 227, § 1, 63 Stat. 208; Pub. L. 86–707, title V, § 511(a)(3), (c)(1), Sept. 6, 1960, 74 Stat. 800, 801; Pub. L. 108–458, title I, § 1077, Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3695.)"
---


# § 3501. Definitions

When used in this chapter, the term—

**(1)** “Agency” means the Central Intelligence Agency;

**(2)** “Director” means the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and

**(3)** “Government agency” means any executive department, commission, council, independent establishment, corporation wholly or partly owned by the United States which is an instrumentality of the United States, board, bureau, division, service, office, officer, authority, administration, or other establishment, in the executive branch of the Government.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 20, 1949, ch. 227, § 1, 63 Stat. 208; Pub. L. 86–707, title V, § 511(a)(3), (c)(1), Sept. 6, 1960, 74 Stat. 800, 801; Pub. L. 108–458, title I, § 1077, Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3695.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to  prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Amendments

2004— redesignated subsecs. (a) to (c) as pars. (1) to (3), respectively, and amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “ ‘Director’ means the Director of Central Intelligence;”.

1960—Subsec. (c). , substituted “Government.” for “Government; and”.

Subsec. (d). , repealed subsec. (d) which defined “continental United States”. See , Government Organization and Employees.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2004 Amendment

For Determination by President that amendment by  take effect on , see Memorandum of President of the United States, , 70 F.R. 23925, set out as a note under .

Amendment by  effective not later than six months after , except as otherwise expressly provided, see , set out in an Effective Date of 2004 Amendment; Transition Provisions note under .

### Short Title

> “This Act [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949’.”

, formerly § 12, ; renumbered § 10, , , , provided that:

### Separability

> “If any provision of this Act [see Tables for classification], or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of this Act or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.”

, formerly § 11, ; renumbered § 9, , , , provided that:

### Designation of Headquarters Compound of Central Intelligence Agency as the George Bush Center for Intelligence

> **“(a)** **Designation.—** The headquarters compound of the Central Intelligence Agency located in Langley, Virginia, shall be known and designated as the ‘George Bush Center for Intelligence’.
> 
> **“(b)** **References.—** Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the headquarters compound referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘George Bush Center for Intelligence’.”

, , , provided that: