Intelligence Identities Protection Act

Intelligence Identities Protection Act
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titlesIntelligence Identities Protection Act of 1981
Long titleAn Act to amend the National Security Act of 1947 to prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of information identifying certain United States intelligence officers, agents, informants, and sources.
Acronyms (colloquial)IIPA
NicknamesIntelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982
Enacted bythe 97th United States Congress
EffectiveJune 23, 1982
Citations
Public law97-200
Statutes at Large96 Stat. 122
Codification
Titles amended50 U.S.C.: War and National Defense
U.S.C. sections amended
Legislative history

The Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97–200, 50 U.S.C. §§ 421426) is a United States federal law that makes it a federal crime for those with access to classified information, or those who systematically seek to identify and expose covert agents and have reason to believe that it will harm the foreign intelligence activities of the U.S.,[1] to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent whom one knows to be in or recently in certain covert roles with a U.S. intelligence agency, unless the United States has publicly acknowledged or revealed the relationship.[2]

  1. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh; Mazzetti, Mark; Shane, Scott (17 July 2005). "The Law: What Can You Say About A Spy?". Time. Archived from the original on July 19, 2005. Retrieved 2011-01-09. What does the law actually legislate? ... a government official with access to classified information ... an official who has security clearance in one area, learns the identity of a covert operative in another area ... any person ... who continually exposes covert operatives knowing that the U.S. is protecting their identities and having "reason to believe" their exposure will damage U.S. intelligence
  2. ^ Elsia, Jennifer (December 13, 2012). "Intelligence Indentities Protection Act" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved February 28, 2013.