---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 1507"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "1507"
heading: "Construction and preemption"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/1507"
units:
  - "Chapter 6 — Cybersecurity"
  - "Subchapter I — Cybersecurity Information Sharing"
---

# §1507. Construction and preemption

- (a) **Otherwise lawful disclosures—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed—
  - (1) to limit or prohibit otherwise lawful disclosures of communications, records, or other information, including reporting of known or suspected criminal activity, by a [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) to any other [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) or the Federal Government under this subchapter; or
  - (2) to limit or prohibit otherwise lawful use of such disclosures by any [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8), even when such otherwise lawful disclosures duplicate or replicate disclosures made under this subchapter.
- (b) **Whistle blower protections—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to prohibit or limit the disclosure of information protected under [section 2302(b)(8) of title 5](/usc/5/2302.md?p=b-8) (governing disclosures of illegality, waste, fraud, abuse, or public health or safety threats), [section 7211 of title 5](/usc/5/7211.md) (governing disclosures to Congress), [section 1034 of title 10](/usc/10/1034.md) (governing disclosure to Congress by members of the military), [section 3234 of title 50](/usc/50/3234.md) (governing disclosure by employees of elements of the intelligence community), or any similar provision of Federal or [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17) law.
- (c) **Protection of sources and methods—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed—
  - (1) as creating any immunity against, or otherwise affecting, any action brought by the Federal Government, or any [agency](/usc/6/1501.md?p=1) or [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) thereof, to enforce any law, executive order, or procedure governing the appropriate handling, disclosure, or use of classified information;
  - (2) to affect the conduct of authorized law enforcement or intelligence activities; or
  - (3) to modify the authority of a [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/1501.md?p=1) of the Federal Government to protect classified information and sources and methods and the national security of the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A).
- (d) **Relationship to other laws—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect any requirement under any other provision of law for a [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) to provide information to the Federal Government.
- (e) **Prohibited conduct—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to permit price-fixing, allocating a market between competitors, monopolizing or attempting to monopolize a market, boycotting, or exchanges of price or cost information, customer lists, or information regarding future competitive planning.
- (f) **Information sharing relationships—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed—
  - (1) to limit or modify an existing information sharing relationship;
  - (2) to prohibit a new information sharing relationship;
  - (3) to require a new information sharing relationship between any [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) and a [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8) or another [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A); or
  - (4) to require the use of the capability and process within the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) of [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security developed under [section 1504(c) of this title](/usc/6/1504.md?p=c).
- (g) **Preservation of contractual obligations and rights—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed—
  - (1) to amend, repeal, or supersede any current or future contractual agreement, terms of service agreement, or other contractual relationship between any [non-Federal entities](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A), or between any [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) and a [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8); or
  - (2) to abrogate trade secret or intellectual property rights of any [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) or [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8).
- (h) **Anti-tasking restriction—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to permit a [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8)—
  - (1) to require a [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) to provide information to a [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8) or another [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A);
  - (2) to condition the sharing of [cyber threat indicators](/usc/6/1501.md?p=6) with a [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A) on such [entity](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2)’s provision of [cyber threat indicators](/usc/6/1501.md?p=6) to a [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8) or another [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A); or
  - (3) to condition the award of any Federal grant, contract, or purchase on the provision of a [cyber threat indicator](/usc/6/1501.md?p=6) to a [Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=8) or another [non-Federal entity](/usc/6/1501.md?p=14-A).
- (i) **No liability for non-participation—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to subject any [entity](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) to liability for choosing not to engage in the [voluntary](/usc/6/671.md?p=6-A) activities authorized in this subchapter.
- (j) **Use and retention of information—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize, or to modify any existing authority of, a [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/1501.md?p=1) of the Federal Government to retain or use any information shared under this subchapter for any use other than permitted in this subchapter.
- (k) **Federal preemption—**
  - (1) **In general—** This subchapter supersedes any statute or other provision of law of a [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17) or political subdivision of a [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17) that restricts or otherwise expressly regulates an activity authorized under this subchapter.
  - (2) **State law enforcement—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to supersede any statute or other provision of law of a [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17) or political subdivision of a [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17) concerning the use of authorized law enforcement practices and procedures.
- (l) **Regulatory authority—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed—
  - (1) to authorize the promulgation of any regulations not specifically authorized to be issued under this subchapter;
  - (2) to establish or limit any regulatory authority not specifically established or limited under this subchapter; or
  - (3) to authorize regulatory actions that would duplicate or conflict with regulatory requirements, mandatory standards, or related processes under another provision of Federal law.
- (m) **Authority of Secretary of Defense to respond to malicious cyber activity carried out by foreign powers—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to limit the authority of the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Defense under [section 394 of title 10](/usc/10/394.md).
- (n) **Criminal prosecution—** Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to prevent the disclosure of a [cyber threat indicator](/usc/6/1501.md?p=6) or [defensive measure](/usc/6/1501.md?p=7) shared under this subchapter in a case of criminal prosecution, when an applicable provision of Federal, [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), [tribal](/usc/6/1501.md?p=18), or local law requires disclosure in such case.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 114–113, div. N, title I, § 108, Dec. 18, 2015, 129 Stat. 2953; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XVI, § 1631(b), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2123.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (m). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 394” for “section 130g”.