U.S. Code > Title 49 Transportation > SUBTITLE VII—AVIATION PROGRAMS (§§ 40101—50105) > PART A—AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY (§§ 40101—46507) > subpart i—general (§§ 40101—40129) > CHAPTER 401—GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 40101—40129) > § 40119. Security and research and development activities

§ 40119. Security and research and development activities

(a) General Requirements.— The Under Secretary of Transportation for Security and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration each shall conduct research (including behavioral research) and development activities appropriate to develop, modify, test, and evaluate a system, procedure, facility, or device to protect passengers and property against acts of criminal violence, aircraft piracy, and terrorism and to ensure security.
(b) Disclosure.—
(1) Notwithstanding section 552 of title 5 and the establishment of a Department of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations prohibiting disclosure of information obtained or developed in ensuring security under this title if the Secretary of Transportation decides disclosing the information would—
(A) be an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;
(B) reveal a trade secret or privileged or confidential commercial or financial information; or
(C) be detrimental to transportation safety.
(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not authorize information to be withheld from a committee of Congress authorized to have the information.
(3) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to authorize the designation of information as sensitive security information (as defined in section 15.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations)—
(A) to conceal a violation of law, inefficiency, or administrative error;
(B) to prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency;
(C) to restrain competition; or
(D) to prevent or delay the release of information that does not require protection in the interest of transportation security, including basic scientific research information not clearly related to transportation security.
(c) Transfers of Duties and Powers Prohibited.— Except as otherwise provided by law, the Under Secretary may not transfer a duty or power under this section to another department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government.