republic-os/legal/us/code/title-50/chapter-36/section-1885.md

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LegalText	50 U.S.C. § 1885	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	50	WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE	36	FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE	1885	50 U.S.C. § 1885	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc50@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t50/s1885	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-50/usc50.xml	e2969109c720a6696406e0a8ca886f80ed1b8b4d677c57714fc66478b450335e	708c288b5448617cab7b03b8011860274671c9aec56686858b910a06948cd7ac	5fdee27da6481bf6ad8bcad82f7465b66b60bbb466d69b58c7fce201963b23a1	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

50 U.S.C. § 1885 - Definitions

Text

In this subchapter:

(1) Assistance The term “assistance” means the provision of, or the provision of access to, information (including communication contents, communications records, or other information relating to a customer or communication), facilities, or another form of assistance.

(2) Civil action The term “civil action” includes a covered civil action.

(3) Congressional intelligence committees The term “congressional intelligence committees” means—

(A) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and

(B) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.

(4) Contents The term “contents” has the meaning given that term in section 1801(n) of this title.

(5) Covered civil action The term “covered civil action” means a civil action filed in a Federal or State court that—

(A) alleges that an electronic communication service provider furnished assistance to an element of the intelligence community; and

(B) seeks monetary or other relief from the electronic communication service provider related to the provision of such assistance.

(6) Electronic communication service provider The term “electronic communication service provider” means—

(A) a telecommunications carrier, as that term is defined in section 153 of title 47;

(B) a provider of electronic communication service, as that term is defined in section 2510 of title 18;

(C) a provider of a remote computing service, as that term is defined in section 2711 of title 18;

(D) any other communication service provider who has access to wire or electronic communications either as such communications are transmitted or as such communications are stored;

(E) any other service provider who has access to equipment that is being or may be used to transmit or store wire or electronic communications, but not including any entity that serves primarily as—

(i) a public accommodation facility, as that term is defined in section 1861(4) of this title;

(ii) a dwelling, as that term is defined in section 3602 of title 42;

(iii) a community facility, as that term is defined in section 1592n of title 42; or

(iv) a food service establishment, as that term is defined in section 1638 of title 7;

(F) a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, successor, or assignee of an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D);

(G) an officer, employee, custodian, or agent of an entity described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), or (F).

(7) Intelligence community The term “intelligence community” has the meaning given the term in section 3003(4) of this title.

(8) Person The term “person” means—

(A) an electronic communication service provider; or

(B) a landlord, custodian, or other person who may be authorized or required to furnish assistance pursuant to—

(i) an order of the court established under section 1803(a) of this title directing such assistance;

(ii) a certification in writing under section 2511(2)(a)(ii)(B) or 2709(b) of title 18; or

(iii) a directive under section 1802(a)(4), 1805b(e), as added by section 2 of the Protect America Act of 2007 (Public Law 110–55), or 1881a(i) of this title.

(9) State The term “State” means any State, political subdivision of a State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States, and includes any officer, public utility commission, or other body authorized to regulate an electronic communication service provider.

(Pub. L. 95–511, title VIII, § 801, as added Pub. L. 110–261, title II, § 201, July 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 2467; amended Pub. L. 115–118, title I, § 101(b)(2)(A), title II, § 205(a)(7), Jan. 19, 2018, 132 Stat. 8, 21; Pub. L. 118–49, § 25(b), Apr. 20, 2024, 138 Stat. 893.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextSection 1805b of this title, referred to in par. (8)(B)(iii), was repealed by Pub. L. 110–261, title IV, § 403(a)(1)(A), July 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 2473.

Amendments2024—Par. (6)(E). Pub. L. 118–49, § 25(b)(3), added subpar. (E). Former subpar. (E) redesignated (F). Par. (6)(F). Pub. L. 118–49, § 25(b)(1), (2), redesignated subpar. (E) as (F) and struck out “or” at end. Former subpar. (F) redesignated (G). Par. (6)(G). Pub. L. 118–49, § 25(b)(1), (4), redesignated subpar. (F) as (G), inserted “custodian,” after “employee,”, and substituted “(D), (E), or (F)” for “(D), or (E)”. 2018—Par. (7). Pub. L. 115–118, § 205(a)(7), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 3003(4) of this title. Par. (8)(B)(iii). Pub. L. 115–118, § 101(b)(2)(A), which directed substitution of “section 1881a(i) of this title” for “section 1881a(h) of this title”, was executed by substituting “1881a(i) of this title” for “1881a(h) of this title” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.