Skip to content

Title 25 — Indians

Chapter 32A — Cultural and Heritage Cooperation Authority

§ 3056. Prohibition on disclosure

Statutory text

(a)

Nondisclosure of information

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall not disclose under section 552 of title 5 (commonly known as the “Freedom of Information Act”), information relating to—

(A)

subject to subsection (b)(l),1 human remains or cultural items reburied on National Forest System land under section 3053 of this title; or

(B)

subject to subsection (b)(2), resources, cultural items, uses, or activities that—

(i)

have a traditional and cultural purpose; and

(ii)

are provided to the Secretary by an Indian or Indian tribe under an express expectation of confidentiality in the context of forest and rangeland research activities carried out under the authority of the Forest Service.

(2)

Limitations on disclosure

Subject to subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall not be required to disclose information under section 552 of title 5 (commonly known as the “Freedom of Information Act”), concerning the identity, use, or specific location in the National Forest System of—

(A)

a site or resource used for traditional and cultural purposes by an Indian tribe; or

(B)

any cultural items not covered under section 3053 of this title.

(b)

Limited release of information

(1)

Reburial

The Secretary may disclose information described in subsection (a)(l)(A) 2 if, before the disclosure, the Secretary—

(A)

consults with an affected Indian tribe or lineal descendent;

(B)

determines that disclosure of the information—

(i)

would advance the purposes of this chapter; and

(ii)

is necessary to protect the human remains or cultural items from harm, theft, or destruction; and

(C)

attempts to mitigate any adverse impacts identified by an Indian tribe or lineal descendant that reasonably could be expected to result from disclosure of the information.

(2)

Other information

The Secretary, in consultation with appropriate Indian tribes, may disclose information described under paragraph (1)(B) or (2) of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that disclosure of the information to the public—

(A)

would advance the purposes of this chapter;

(B)

would not create an unreasonable risk of harm, theft, or destruction of the resource, site, or object, including individual organic or inorganic specimens; and

(C)

would be consistent with other applicable laws.

Footnotes

  1. 1 So in original. Probably should be “(b)(1),”.
  2. 2 So in original. Probably should be “(a)(1)(A)”.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 110–234 title VIII § 8106 · 122 Stat. 923

    Enacted · 25 U.S.C. § 3056

    Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8106, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1288

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8106, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1288

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SEC. 8106. PROHIBITION ON DISCLOSURE. (a) Nondisclosure of Information.— (1) In general.— The Secretary shall not disclose under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the “Freedom of Information Act”), information relating to— (A) subject to subsection (b)(l), human remains or cultural items reburied on National Forest System land under section 8103; or (B) subject to subsection (b)(2), resources, cultural items, uses, or activities that— (i) have a traditional and cultural purpose; and (ii) are provided to the Secretary by an Indian or Indian tribe under an express expectation of confidentiality in the context of forest and rangeland research activities carried out under the authority of the Forest Service. (2) Limitations on disclosure.— Subject to subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall not be required to disclose information under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the “Freedom of Information Act”), concerning the identity, use, or specific location in the National Forest System of— (A) a site or resource used for traditional and cultural purposes by an Indian tribe; or (B) any cultural items not covered under section 8103. (b) Limited Release of Information.— (1) Reburial.— The Secretary may disclose information described in subsection (a)(l)(A) if, before the disclosure, the Secretary— (A) consults with an affected Indian tribe or lineal descendent; (B) determines that disclosure of the information— (i) would advance the purposes of this subtitle; and (ii) is necessary to protect the human remains or cultural items from harm, theft, or destruction; and (C) attempts to mitigate any adverse impacts identified by an Indian tribe or lineal descendant that reasonably could be expected to result from disclosure of the information. (2) Other information.— The Secretary, in consultation with appropriate Indian tribes, may disclose information described under paragraph (1)(B) or (2) of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that disclosure of the information to the public— (A) would advance the purposes of this subtitle; (B) would not create an unreasonable risk of harm, theft, or destruction of the resource, site, or object, including individual organic or inorganic specimens; and (C) would be consistent with other applicable laws.

1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Editorial Notes

Codification

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective , the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Credits

2008 · 2 acts
  1. 2008Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8106, , 122 Stat. 1288
  2. 2008Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VIII, § 8106, , 122 Stat. 1664, 2050.
Show as published

(Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8106, , 122 Stat. 1288; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VIII, § 8106, , 122 Stat. 1664, 2050.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc25.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-06

USLM identifier /us/usc/t25/s3056