I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3448 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for penalties for the 
unauthorized disclosure of classified information to a person not author-
ized to receive such information. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2017 
Mr. STEWART introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for pen-
alties for the unauthorized disclosure of classified infor-
mation to a person not authorized to receive such infor-
mation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Classified Information 
Protection Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF 
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 37 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 798A as section 
798B; and 
(2) by inserting after section 798 the following 
new section 798A: 
‘‘SEC. 798A. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF CLASSIFIED 
INFORMATION. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Whoever knowingly and willfully 
discloses, or attempts to disclose, any classified informa-
tion acquired as a result of such person’s authorized ac-
cess to classified information to a person who is not au-
thorized access to such classified information, knowing 
that the person is not authorized access to such classified 
information, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not 
more than 3 years, or both. 
‘‘(b) CONSTRUCTION OF PROHIBITION.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to establish criminal liabil-
ity for disclosure of classified information in accordance 
with applicable law to the following: 
‘‘(1) Any justice or judge of a court of the 
United States established pursuant to article III of 
the Constitution of the United States. 
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‘‘(2) The Senate or the House of Representa-
tives, or any committee or subcommittee thereof, or 
joint committee thereof, or any member of Congress. 
‘‘(3) A person or persons acting on behalf of a 
foreign power (including an international organiza-
tion) if the disclosure— 
‘‘(A) is made by an officer or employee of 
the United States who has been authorized to 
make the disclosure; and 
‘‘(B) is within the scope of such officer’s or 
employee’s duties. 
‘‘(4) Any other person authorized to receive the 
classified information. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘authorized’, in the case of ac-
cess to classified information, means having author-
ity or permission to have access to the classified in-
formation pursuant to the provisions of a statute, 
Executive order, regulation, or directive of the head 
of any department or agency who is empowered to 
classify information, an order of any United States 
court, or a provision of any Resolution of the Senate 
or Rule of the House of Representatives which gov-
erns release of classified information by such House 
of Congress. 
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