U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 1733. Information

(a) Availability of confidential information by Secretary pursuant to cooperative agreements; conditions

Trade secrets, proprietary and other confidential information shall be made available by the Secretary, pursuant to a cooperative agreement, to a State or Indian tribe upon request only if—

(1) such State or Indian tribe consents in writing to restrict the dissemination of the information to those who are directly involved in an audit or investigation under this chapter and who have a need to know;

(2) such State or tribe accepts liability for wrongful disclosure;

(3) in the case of a State, such State demonstrates that such information is essential to the conduct of an audit or investigation or to litigation under section 1734 of this title; and

(4) in the case of an Indian tribe, such tribe demonstrates that such information is essential to the conduct of an audit or investigation and waives sovereign immunity by express consent for wrongful disclosure by such tribe.

(b) Nonliability of United States for wrongful disclosure

The United States shall not be liable for the wrongful disclosure by any individual, State, or Indian tribe of any information provided to such individual, State, or Indian tribe pursuant to any cooperative agreement or a delegation, authorized by this chapter.

Whenever any individual, State, or Indian tribe has obtained possession of information pursuant to a cooperative agreement authorized by this section, or any individual or State has obtained possession of information pursuant to a delegation under section 1735 of this title, the individual shall be subject to the same provisions of law with respect to the disclosure of such information as would apply to an officer or employee of the United States or of any department or agency thereof and the State or Indian tribe shall be subject to the same provisions of law with respect to the disclosure of such information as would apply to the United States or any department or agency thereof. No State or State officer or employee who receives trade secrets, proprietary information, or other confidential information under this chapter may be required to disclose such information under State law.

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