50 U.S.C. 1881h FISA · Chapter 36: FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE
50 U.S.C. 1881h FISA: Penalties for unauthorized disclosure
United States Code, current through Public Law 119-136 (October 22, 2026). Retrieved 30 October 2026.
Official text
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.
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.
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: United States Code, title 50, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), release point 119-136. The editorial and statutory notes are not reproduced.
Source credit: ( Pub. L. 95-511, title VII, § 709 , as added Pub. L. 118-49, § 13(c) , Apr. 20, 2024 , 138 Stat. 882 .)
50 U.S.C. 1881h on the Office of the Law Revision Counsel
United States Code, current through Public Law 119-136 (October 22, 2026). Retrieved 30 October 2026.
This is reference material, not legal advice.