The Central Intelligence Agency Act, , is a

United States federal law The law of the United States comprises many levels of Codification (law), codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the supreme law is the nation's Constitution of the United States, Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the ...

enacted in 1949. The Act, also called the "CIA Act of 1949" or "Public Law 110" permitted the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

to use confidential fiscal and administrative procedures and exempting it from many of the usual limitations on the use of federal funds. The act (Section 7) also exempted the CIA from having to disclose its "organization, functions, officials, titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed." It also created a program called "PL-110" to handle defectors and other "essential aliens" outside normal immigration procedures, as well as give those persons cover stories and economic support. It was passed by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

on May 27, 1949. The Act is now codified at .

Constitutional challenge

The Act's Constitutionality was challenged in 1972 in the Supreme Court case '' United States v. Richardson'', on the basis that the Act conflicted with the penultimate clause of Article I, Section 9 of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

, which states that "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time." The Supreme Court found that Richardson, as a taxpayer, lacked sufficient undifferentiated injury to enjoy

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to argue the case.

Constitutional challenge

References

External links