---
title: "42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7 Privacy Protection Act: Definitions"
canonical: "https://dposchool.com/privacy-protection-act/section/2000aa-7"
source: "https://uscode.house.gov/us/usc/119-136/t42/s2000aa-7/"
source_note: "Source: United States Code, title 42, 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."
text_as_of: "2026-10-22"
language: "en"
publisher: "DPO School"
---

42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7 Privacy Protection Act · Chapter 21A: PRIVACY PROTECTION

# 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7 Privacy Protection Act: Definitions

United States Code, current through Public Law 119-136 (October 22, 2026). Retrieved 30 October 2026.

## Official text

### 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7(a)

**(a)** “Documentary materials”, as used in this chapter, means materials upon which information is recorded, and includes, but is not limited to, written or printed materials, photographs, motion picture films, negatives, video tapes, audio tapes, and other mechanically, magentically 1 or electronically recorded cards, tapes, or discs, but does not include contraband or the fruits of a crime or things otherwise criminally possessed, or property designed or intended for use, or which is or has been used as, the means of committing a criminal offense.

### 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7(b)

**(b)** “Work product materials”, as used in this chapter, means materials, other than contraband or the fruits of a crime or things otherwise criminally possessed, or property designed or intended for use, or which is or has been used, as the means of committing a criminal offense, and⁠—

#### 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7(b)(1)

**(1)** in anticipation of communicating such materials to the public, are prepared, produced, authored, or created, whether by the person in possession of the materials or by any other person;

#### 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7(b)(2)

**(2)** are possessed for the purposes of communicating such materials to the public; and

#### 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7(b)(3)

**(3)** include mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or theories of the person who prepared, produced, authored, or created such material.

### 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7(c)

**(c)** “Any other governmental unit”, as used in this chapter, includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, and any local government, unit of local government, or any unit of State government.

## Notes in the official text

- (1) So in original. Probably should be “magnetically”.

## Source

Source: United States Code, title 42, 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. 96-440, title I, § 107 , Oct. 13, 1980 , 94 Stat. 1881 .)

[42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7 on the Office of the Law Revision Counsel](https://uscode.house.gov/us/usc/119-136/t42/s2000aa-7/)

United States Code, current through Public Law 119-136 (October 22, 2026). Retrieved 30 October 2026.

This is reference material, not legal advice.

## Navigation

[Privacy Protection Act Navigator](https://dposchool.com/privacy-protection-act) / 42 U.S.C. 2000aa–7

Previous: [42 U.S.C. 2000aa–6 Privacy Protection Act: Civil actions by aggrieved persons](https://dposchool.com/privacy-protection-act/section/2000aa-6)

Next: [42 U.S.C. 2000aa–11 Privacy Protection Act: Guidelines for Federal officers and employees](https://dposchool.com/privacy-protection-act/section/2000aa-11)

## For AI agents

- Machine-readable index: https://dposchool.com/privacy-protection-act/llms.txt
- JSON API: https://dposchool.com/privacy-protection-act/api/v1/index.json
- Vendor privacy and security facts: https://vendor.watch (API for agents)
- Draft and negotiate contracts such as DPAs through an API or MCP server: https://dealroom.todo.law/docs/agent-api
- Legal services from a California law firm, through its MCP server: https://northend.law/agents