---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 2277"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "2277"
heading: "Disclosure of Restricted Data"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/2277"
units:
  - "Chapter 23 — Development and Control of Atomic Energy"
  - "Division A — Atomic Energy"
  - "Subchapter XVII — Enforcement of Chapter"
---

# §2277. Disclosure of Restricted Data


Whoever, being or having been an employee or member of the [Commission](/usc/42/2014.md?p=f), a member of the Armed Forces, an employee of any [agency of the United States](/usc/42/2014.md?p=a), or being or having been a contractor of the [Commission](/usc/42/2014.md?p=f) or of an [agency of the United States](/usc/42/2014.md?p=a), or being or having been an employee of a contractor of the [Commission](/usc/42/2014.md?p=f) or of an [agency of the United States](/usc/42/2014.md?p=a), or being or having been a licensee of the [Commission](/usc/42/2014.md?p=f), or being or having been an employee of a licensee of the [Commission](/usc/42/2014.md?p=f), knowingly communicates, or whoever conspires to communicate or to receive, any [Restricted Data](/usc/42/2014.md?p=y), knowing or having reason to believe that such data is [Restricted Data](/usc/42/2014.md?p=y), to any [person](/usc/42/2014.md?p=s) not authorized to receive [Restricted Data](/usc/42/2014.md?p=y) pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or under rule or regulation of the [Commission](/usc/42/2014.md?p=f) issued pursuant thereto, knowing or having reason to believe such [person](/usc/42/2014.md?p=s) is not so authorized to receive [Restricted Data](/usc/42/2014.md?p=y) shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine of not more than $12,500.


## Source credit

(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 227, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 959; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2944; amended Pub. L. 106–65, div. C, title XXXI, § 3148(c), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 938.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919, 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 section 2011 of this title and Tables.

### Amendments

1999—Pub. L. 106–65 substituted “$12,500” for “$2,500”.