§ 616. — Public examination of official records; transmittal of records and information.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 22USC616]
TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
CHAPTER 11--FOREIGN AGENTS AND PROPAGANDA
SUBCHAPTER II--REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN PROPAGANDISTS
Sec. 616. Public examination of official records; transmittal of
records and information
(a) Permanent copy of statement; inspection; withdrawal
The Attorney General shall retain in permanent form one copy of all
registration statements furnished under this subchapter, and the same
shall be public records and open to public examination and inspection at
such reasonable hours, under such regulations, as the Attorney General
may prescribe, and copies of the same shall be furnished to every
applicant at such reasonable fee as the Attorney General may prescribe.
The Attorney General may withdraw from public examination the
registration statement and other statements of any agent of a foreign
principal whose activities have ceased to be of a character which
requires registration under the provisions of this subchapter.
(b) Secretary of State
The Attorney General shall, promptly upon receipt, transmit one copy
of every registration statement filed hereunder and one copy of every
amendment or supplement thereto filed hereunder, to the Secretary of
State for such comment and use as the Secretary of State may determine
to be appropriate from the point of view of the foreign relations of the
United States. Failure of the Attorney General so to transmit such copy
shall not be a bar to prosecution under this subchapter.
(c) Executive departments and agencies; Congressional committees
The Attorney General is authorized to furnish to departments and
agencies in the executive branch and committees of the Congress such
information obtained by him in the administration of this subchapter,
including the names of registrants under this subchapter, copies of
registration statements, or parts thereof, or other documents or
information filed under this subchapter, as may be appropriate in the
light of the purposes of this subchapter.
(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, Sec. 6, 52 Stat. 633; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263,
Sec. 1, 56 Stat. 256; Pub. L. 89-486, Sec. 6, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat.
247; Pub. L. 104-65, Sec. 9(7), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700.)
Prior Provisions
Prior to general amendment of act June 8, 1938, by act Apr. 29,
1942, section related to rules and regulations. Provisions on that
subject were incorporated in section 620 of this title by 1942
amendment.
Provisions on this subject were contained in section 614 of this
title prior to general amendment of act June 8, 1938, by act Apr. 29,
1942.
Amendments
1995--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104-65, Sec. 9(7)(A), struck out ``and
all statements concerning the distribution of political propaganda''
after ``all registration statements''.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104-65, Sec. 9(7)(B), struck out ``, and one
copy of every item of political propaganda'' after ``supplement
thereto''.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-65, Sec. 9(7)(C), struck out ``copies of
political propaganda,'' after ``parts thereof,''.
1966--Pub. L. 89-486 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a)
and added subsecs. (b) and (c).
1942--Act Apr. 29, 1942, amended section generally.
Effective Date of 1995 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 104-65 effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as
otherwise provided, see section 24 of Pub. L. 104-65, set out as an
Effective Date note under section 1601 of Title 2, The Congress.
Effective Date of 1966 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 89-486 effective ninety days after July 4,
1966, see section 9 of Pub. L. 89-486, set out as a note under section
611 of this title.
Effective Date of 1942 Amendment
Amendment by act Apr. 29, 1942, effective on the sixtieth day after
Apr. 29, 1942, except that prior to such sixtieth day the Attorney
General may make, prescribe, amend, and rescind such rules, regulations,
and forms as may be necessary to carry out act Apr. 29, 1942, see
section 3 of act Apr. 29, 1942, set out as a note under section 611 of
this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 18 section 219.
