Fabio
76b8ec33a7
Ingested titles 12–51 and 54 from OLRC USLM XML @119-100 (the whole Code now, uniform edition; Title 53 is reserved/empty). LegalText 11,221 -> 59,740; repo total 105,704 records. Deterministic (byte-identical rerun, verified on Title 42's 8,356 sections); make check green. make legal-us-code default now covers every title. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
56 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
56 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
---
|
||
type: "LegalText"
|
||
title: "18 U.S.C. § 176"
|
||
description: "Seizure, forfeiture, and destruction"
|
||
jurisdiction: "us"
|
||
corpus: "united_states_code"
|
||
kind: "code_section"
|
||
title_number: 18
|
||
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
|
||
chapter_number: "10"
|
||
chapter_name: "BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS"
|
||
section: "176"
|
||
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 176"
|
||
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_usc18@119-100.zip"
|
||
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s176"
|
||
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml"
|
||
source_hash: "cd42b717abee0407af63c99d1a846bc09f1d1ea16409b5de3ce6dae3f8388a20"
|
||
raw_snapshot_hash: "1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708"
|
||
text_hash: "0c0d45ba424d5a41b123eb183665d859a370d7c4961b72f379b1dfac91f0ff2b"
|
||
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
|
||
confidence: "official"
|
||
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
# 18 U.S.C. § 176 - Seizure, forfeiture, and destruction
|
||
|
||
## Text
|
||
|
||
(a) In General.— (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Attorney General may request the issuance, in the same manner as provided for a search warrant, of a warrant authorizing the seizure of any biological agent, toxin, or delivery system that—
|
||
|
||
(A) pertains to conduct prohibited under section 175 of this title; or
|
||
|
||
(B) is of a type or in a quantity that under the circumstances has no apparent justification for prophylactic, protective, or other peaceful purposes.
|
||
|
||
(2) In exigent circumstances, seizure and destruction of any biological agent, toxin, or delivery system described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) may be made upon probable cause without the necessity for a warrant.
|
||
|
||
(b) Procedure.— Property seized pursuant to subsection (a) shall be forfeited to the United States after notice to potential claimants and an opportunity for a hearing. At such hearing, the Government shall bear the burden of persuasion by a preponderance of the evidence. Except as inconsistent herewith, the same procedures and provisions of law relating to a forfeiture under the customs laws shall extend to a seizure or forfeiture under this section. The Attorney General may provide for the destruction or other appropriate disposition of any biological agent, toxin, or delivery system seized and forfeited pursuant to this section.
|
||
|
||
(c) Affirmative Defense.— It is an affirmative defense against a forfeiture under subsection (a)(1)(B) of this section that—
|
||
|
||
(1) such biological agent, toxin, or delivery system is for a prophylactic, protective, or other peaceful purpose; and
|
||
|
||
(2) such biological agent, toxin, or delivery system, is of a type and quantity reasonable for that purpose.
|
||
|
||
(Added Pub. L. 101–298, § 3(a), May 22, 1990, 104 Stat. 202; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330010(16), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2144; Pub. L. 107–188, title II, § 231(c)(3), June 12, 2002, 116 Stat. 661.)
|
||
|
||
## Notes
|
||
|
||
Editorial Notes
|
||
|
||
Amendments2002—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 107–188 substituted “pertains to” for “exists by reason of”. 1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “the Government” for “the government”.
|