Use of weapons of mass destruction
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) Offense Against a National of the United States or Within the United States. A person who, without lawful authority, uses, threatens, or or to use, a weapon of mass destruction—
(1) against a national of the United States while such national is outside of the United States;
(2) against any person or property within the United States, and
(A) the mail or any facility of is used in furtherance of the offense;
(B) such property is used in or in an activity that affects ;
(C) any perpetrator travels in or causes another to travel in in furtherance of the offense; or
(D) the offense, or the results of the offense, affect , or, in the case of a threat, attempt, or , would have affected ;
(3) against any property that is owned, leased or used by the United States or by any department or agency of the United States, whether the property is within or outside of the United States; or
(4) against any property within the United States that is owned, leased, or used by a foreign government,
shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, and if death results, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(b) Offense by National of the United States Outside of the United States. Any national of the United States who, without lawful authority, uses, or threatens, , or to use, a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, and if death results, shall be punished by death, or by imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
(c) Definitions. For purposes of this section—
(1) the term "national of the United States" has the meaning given in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22));
(2) the term "weapon of mass destruction" means—
(A) any destructive device as defined in section 921 of this title;
(B) any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors;
(C) any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector (as those terms are defined in section 178 of this title); or
(D) any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life; and
(3) the term "property" includes all real and personal property.
History: (Added Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, §60023(a), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1980 (PDF, 52 MB); amended Pub. L. 104–132, title V, §511(c), title VII, §725, Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1284, 1300; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §605(m), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3510; Pub. L. 105–277, div. I, title II, §201(b)(1), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–871; Pub. L. 107–188, title II, §231(d), June 12, 2002, 116 Stat. 661; Pub. L. 108–458, title VI, §6802(a), (b), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3766, 3767.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to use, threaten to use, or try or conspire to use a weapon of mass destruction without lawful authority. This covers attacks on U.S. nationals abroad, on people or property in the U.S. when interstate or foreign commerce is involved, on U.S. government property anywhere, and on foreign-government property in the U.S. It also covers any U.S. national who does this outside the United States.