(a) Information; reports and records; inspection; availability of data from any Federal agency as limitation of authority

The Secretary may obtain from any person whose activities relate to weather modification by rule, subpena, or otherwise such information in the form of testimony, books, records, or other writings, may require the keeping and furnishing of such reports and records, and may make such inspection of the books, records, and other writings and premises and property of any person as may be deemed necessary or appropriate by him to carry out the provisions of this chapter, but this authority shall not be exercised to obtain any information with respect to which adequate and authoritative data are available from any Federal agency.

(b) Noncompliance; application of Attorney General; jurisdiction; orders; contempts

Terms Used In 15 USC 330c

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: means any individual, corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, joint stock company, any State or local government or any agency thereof, or any other organization, whether commercial or nonprofit, who is performing weather modification activities, except where acting solely as an employee, agent, or independent contractor of the Federal Government. See 15 USC 330
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Commerce. See 15 USC 330
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • United States: includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or insular possession of the United States. See 15 USC 330
  • weather modification: means any activity performed with the intention of producing artificial changes in the composition, behavior, or dynamics of the atmosphere. See 15 USC 330

In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpena served upon any person pursuant to this section, the district court of the United States for any district in which such person is found or resides or transacts business, upon application by the Attorney General, shall have jurisdiction to issue an order requiring such person to appear and give testimony or to appear and produce documents, or both; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof.