Communication lines, stations or systems
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever or injures or destroys any of the works, property, or material of any radio, telegraph, telephone or cable, line, station, or system, or other means of communication, operated or controlled by the United States, or used or intended to be used for military or civil defense functions of the United States, whether constructed or in process of construction, or or interferes in any way with the working or use of any such line, or system, or or obstructs, hinders, or delays the transmission of any communication over any such line, or system, or or to do such an act, shall be or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
In the case of any works, property, or material, not operated or controlled by the United States, this section shall not apply to any lawful strike activity, or other lawful concerted activities for the purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection which do not injure or destroy any line or system used or intended to be used for the military or civil defense functions of the United States.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 764 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 87–306, Sept. 26, 1961, 75 Stat. 669; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, §320903(d)(2), title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2125 (PDF, 52 MB), 2147; Pub. L. 107–56, title VIII, §811(c), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 381.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to willfully or maliciously damage or destroy radio, telephone, cable, or other communication lines or systems run by the United States or used for military or civil defense. It is also a crime to interfere with or delay communications on these systems, or to try or plan with others to do so.