republic-os/legal/us/code/title-22/chapter-11/section-616.md

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LegalText	22 U.S.C. § 616	Public examination of official records; transmittal of records and information	us	united_states_code	code_section	22	FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE	11	FOREIGN AGENTS AND PROPAGANDA	616	22 U.S.C. § 616	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc22@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t22/s616	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-22/usc22.xml	e3abe4730eb1182dba55fe9271558d52d13dfa907161136f241c04d2ede344ca	b9c63ede722f5e0bf8eabfe9029e06e312ab9bcfd95c4d1424ed515baff1df83	53a9a812dd0dc5251fdd0a7cd4d0e1105b72fb0808f207e6120c038983ecba6d	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

22 U.S.C. § 616 - Public examination of official records; transmittal of records and information

Text

(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.

(d) Public database of registration statements and updates (1) In general The Attorney General shall maintain, and make available to the public over the Internet, without a fee or other access charge, in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable manner, to the extent technically practicable, an electronic database that—

(A) includes the information contained in registration statements and updates filed under this subchapter; and

(B) is searchable and sortable, at a minimum, by each of the categories of information described in section 612(a) of this title.

(2) Accountability The Attorney General shall make each registration statement and update filed in electronic form pursuant to section 612(g) of this title available for public inspection over the Internet as soon as technically practicable after the registration statement or update is filed.

(June 8, 1938, ch. 327, § 6, 52 Stat. 633; Apr. 29, 1942, ch. 263, § 1, 56 Stat. 256; Pub. L. 89–486, § 6, July 4, 1966, 80 Stat. 247; Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(7), Dec. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 110–81, title II, § 212(b), Sept. 14, 2007, 121 Stat. 749.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior ProvisionsPrior 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.

Amendments2007—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–81 added subsec. (d). 1995—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(7)(A), struck out “and all statements concerning the distribution of political propaganda” after “all registration statements”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(7)(B), struck out “, and one copy of every item of political propaganda” after “supplement thereto”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–65, § 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.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2007 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–81 effective on the 90th day after Sept. 14, 2007, see section 212(c) of Pub. L. 110–81, set out as a note under section 612 of this title.

Effective Date of 1995 AmendmentAmendment 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 AmendmentAmendment 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 AmendmentAmendment 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.