---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 20131"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "20131"
heading: "Public access to information"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/20131"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — General Program and Policy Provisions"
  - "Chapter 201 — National Aeronautics and Space Program"
  - "Subchapter III — General Administrative Provisions"
---

# §20131. Public access to information

- (a) **Public Inspection.—** Information obtained or developed by the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) in the performance of the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2)’s functions under this chapter shall be made available for public inspection, except information—
  - (1) authorized or required by Federal statute to be withheld;
  - (2) classified to protect the national security; or
  - (3) described in [subsection (b)](#b).
- (b) **Special Handling of Trade Secret or Confidential Information.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** The [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2), for a period of up to 5 years after the development of information described in [paragraph (2)](#b-2), may provide appropriate protections against the dissemination of such information, including exemption from subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5.
  - (2) **Information described.—** Information referred to in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) is information that results from activities conducted under an agreement entered into under subsections (e) and (f) of [section 20113 of this title](/usc/51/20113.md), and that would be a trade secret or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential under the meaning of [section 552(b)(4) of title 5](/usc/5/552.md?p=b-4) if the information had been obtained from a non-Federal party participating in such an agreement.
- (c) **Committees of Congress.—** Nothing in this chapter authorizes the withholding of information by the [Administrator](/usc/51/10101.md?p=2) from the duly authorized committees of Congress.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3338.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 20131(a) | 42 U.S.C. 2454(a) (words before proviso). | Pub. L. 85–568, title III, § 303, July 29, 1958, 72 Stat. 433; Pub. L. 102–588, title V, § 509, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5129. |
| 20131(b) | 42 U.S.C. 2454(b). |  |
| 20131(c) | 42 U.S.C. 2454(a) (proviso). |  |