§4203. Confidentiality of declarations

(a) Period of confidentiality

A declarant and the declarant's agents shall not disclose the existence or filing of a declaration filed pursuant to section 4201 of this title until-

(1) the declarant receives notice that the Attorney General has concluded that an action should not be pursued under section 4206(b) of this title;

(2) the declarant receives notice of an award pursuant to section 4206(c) of this title; or

(3) the declarant is granted a contract to pursue an action under section 4205(b) or 4207 of this title.

(b) Maintenance of confidentiality to prevent prejudice

(1) Notwithstanding any other law, the contents of a declaration shall not be disclosed by the declarant if the disclosure would prejudice or compromise in any way the completion of any government investigation or any criminal or civil case that may arise out of, or make use of, information contained in a declaration, but information contained in a declaration may be disclosed as required by duly issued and authorized legal process.

(2) The Attorney General may in a circumstance described in paragraph (1) notify a declarant that continued confidentiality is required under this subsection notwithstanding paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a).

(c) Loss of rights

A declarant who discloses, except as provided by this chapter,¹ the existence or filing of a declaration or the contents thereof to anyone other than a duly authorized Federal or State investigator or the declarant's attorney shall immediately lose all rights under this subchapter.

( Pub. L. 101–647, title XXV, §2563, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4894 .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the original "this title", and was translated as reading "this subtitle", meaning subtitle H of title XXV of Pub. L. 101–647, known as the Financial Institutions Anti-Fraud Enforcement Act of 1990, which is classified principally to this chapter, as the probable intent of Congress. For complete classification of subtitle H to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4201 of this title and Tables.

¹ See References in Text note below.