18 USC 1905: Cost information

            
 
          Sec. 1905. Disclosure of confidential information generally

    Whoever, being an officer or employee of the United States or of any 
department or agency
thereof, any person acting on behalf of the Office of Federal Housing 
Enterprise Oversight, or agent of the Department of Justice as defined 
in the Antitrust Civil Process Act (15 U.S.C. 1311-1314), or being an 
employee of a private sector organization who is or was assigned to an 
agency under chapter 37 of title 5, publishes, divulges, discloses, or 
makes known in any manner or to any extent not authorized by law any 
information coming to him in the course of his employment or official 
duties or by reason of any examination or investigation made by, or 
return, report or record made to or filed with, such department or 
agency or officer or employee thereof, which information concerns or 
relates to the trade secrets, processes, operations, style of work, or 
apparatus, or to the identity, confidential statistical data, amount or 
source of any income, profits, losses, or expenditures of any person, 
firm, partnership, corporation, or association; or permits any income 
return or copy thereof or any book containing any abstract or 
particulars thereof to be seen or examined by any person except as 
provided by law; shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more 
than one year, or both; and shall be removed from office or employment.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 791; Pub. L. 96-349, Sec. 7(b), Sept. 
12, 1980, 94 Stat. 1158; Pub. L. 102-550, title XIII, Sec. 1353, Oct. 
28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3970; Pub. L. 104-294, title VI, Sec. 601(a)(8), 
Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107-347, title II, 
Sec. 209(d)(2), Dec. 17, 2002, 116 Stat. 2930.)
                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on section 176b of title 15, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Commerce and 
Trade; section 216 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed.; section 1335 of title 
19, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties (R.S. Sec. 3167; Aug. 27, 1894, ch. 
349, Sec. 24, 28 Stat. 557; Feb. 26, 1926, ch. 27, Sec. 1115, 44 Stat. 
117; June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title III, Sec. 335, 46 Stat. 701; Jan. 27, 
1938, ch. 11, Sec. 2, 52 Stat. 8).
    Section consolidates section 176b of title 15, U.S.C., 1940 ed., 
Commerce and Trade; section 216 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and 
section 1335 of title 19, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Customs Duties.
    Words ``or of any department or agency thereof'' and words ``such 
department or agency'' were inserted so as to eliminate any possible 
ambiguity as to scope of section. (See definition of ``department'' and 
``agency'' in section 6 of this title.)
    References to the offenses as misdemeanors, contained in all of said 
sections, were omitted in view of definitive section 1 of this title.
    The provisions of section 216 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., 
relating to publication of income tax data by ``any person'', were 
omitted as covered by section 55(f)(1) of title 26, U.S.C., 1940 ed., 
Internal Revenue Code.
    Minor changes were made in translations and phraseology.

                       References in Text

    The Antitrust Civil Process Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 87-
664, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 548, as amended, which is classified 
generally to chapter 34 (Sec. 1311 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and 
Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short 
Title note set out under section 1311 of Title 15 and Tables.
                               Amendments

    2002--Pub. L. 107-347 inserted ``or being an employee of a private 
sector organization who is or was assigned to an agency under chapter 37 
of title 5,'' after ``(15 U.S.C. 1311-1314),''.
    1996--Pub. L. 104-294 substituted ``fined under this title'' for 
``fined not more than $1,000''.
    1992--Pub. L. 102-550 inserted ``any person acting on behalf of the 
Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight,'' after ``or agency 
thereof,''.
    1980--Pub. L. 96-349 provided for punishment and removal from office 
of an agent of the Department of Justice as defined in the Antitrust 
Civil Process Act for disclosure of confidential information.
                    Effective Date of 2002 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 107-347 effective 120 days after Dec. 17, 2002, 
see section 402(a) of Pub. L. 107-347, set out as an Effective Date note 
under section 3601 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.