---
type: "LegalText"
title: "12 U.S.C. § 5566"
description: "Referrals for criminal proceedings"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 12
title_name: "BANKS AND BANKING"
chapter_number: "53"
chapter_name: "WALL STREET REFORM AND CONSUMER PROTECTION"
section: "5566"
citation: "12 U.S.C. § 5566"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc12@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t12/s5566"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-12/usc12.xml"
source_hash: "0cc334b18b456100e8704190ce1a16c4181cf1b421c3ec3aff9c7afe961f5552"
raw_snapshot_hash: "e6b98700ef4156ac33fde5d105824845d727afa91a53f3762be2cf4d1a3b01fa"
text_hash: "1dfc587fc42aacdc474391e526184a0bb39c4d821dfb65dc68f605b0d55b3299"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 12 U.S.C. § 5566 - Referrals for criminal proceedings

## Text

If the Bureau obtains evidence that any person, domestic or foreign, has engaged in conduct that may constitute a violation of Federal criminal law, the Bureau shall transmit such evidence to the Attorney General of the United States, who may institute criminal proceedings under appropriate law. Nothing in this section affects any other authority of the Bureau to disclose information.

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1056, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2031.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective on the designated transfer date, see section 1058 of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as a note under section 5561 of this title.