18 U.S.C. § 229 — Prohibited activities

(a) Unlawful Conduct. Except as allowed in subsection (b), it is illegal for anyone to knowingly do either of these things: (1) develop, produce, get, transfer, receive, stockpile, keep, own, possess, use, or threaten to use a chemical weapon; or (2) help, encourage, attempt, or conspire with someone else to do those things. (b) Exempted Agencies and Persons. Subsection (a) does not apply to a U.S. government department or agency, or to certain people, who hold, own, possess, transfer, or receive a chemical weapon while waiting for it to be destroyed. The exempted people are: (A) anyone, including a member of the armed forces, who is legally authorized to handle the weapon; or (B) in an emergency, anyone who is otherwise not at fault and is trying to destroy or seize the weapon. (c) Jurisdiction. U.S. law covers this conduct if it: (1) happens inside the United States; (2) happens outside the U.S. but is done by a U.S. national; (3) is done against a U.S. national who is outside the U.S.; or (4) is done against property owned, leased, or used by the U.S. government or one of its agencies, whether that property is inside or outside the country.