Us Code § 359 - Penalties
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 359 — Penalties, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 359. Penalties
(a) Failure to make report or furnish information; false or fraudulent statement or claim
Any officer or agent of an employer, or any employee representative, or any employee acting in his own behalf, or any person whether or not of the character hereinbefore defined, who shall willfully fail or refuse to make any report or furnish any information required by the Board in the administration of this chapter, or who shall knowingly make or aid in making or cause to be made any false or fraudulent statement or report when a statement or report is required to be made for the purposes of this chapter, or who shall knowingly make or aid in making or cause to be made any false or fraudulent statement or claim for the purpose of causing benefits or other payment to be made or not to be made under this chapter, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.
(b) Agreement by employee to bear employer's contribution
Any agreement by an employee to pay all or any portion of the contribution required of his employer under this chapter shall be void, and it shall be unlawful for any employer, or officer or agent of an employer, to make, require, or permit any employee to bear all or any portion of such contribution. Any employer, or officer or agent of an employer, who violates any provision of this subsection shall be punished for each such violation by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.
(c) Punishments not specifically provided
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, the punishment for which is not otherwise provided, shall be punished for each such violation by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.
(d) Payment and disposition of fines or penalties
All fines and penalties imposed by a court pursuant to this chapter shall be paid to the court and be remitted from time to time by order of the judge to the Treasury of the United States to be credited to the account.
(June 25, 1938, ch. 680, §9, 52 Stat. 1103.)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning act June 25, 1938, ch. 680, 52 Stat. 1094, which enacted this chapter and amended sections 503 and 1104 and former section 1107 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 367 of this title and Tables.
About This Section
45 U.S.C. § 359 is part of Title 45 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 45 U.S.C. § 359. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.