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

to develop, produce, otherwise acquire, transfer directly or indirectly, receive, stockpile, retain, own, possess, or use, or threaten to use, any chemical weapon; or to assist or induce, in any way, any person to violate paragraph (1), or to attempt or conspire to violate paragraph (1). Subsection (a) does not apply to the retention, ownership, possession, transfer, or receipt of a chemical weapon by a department, agency, or other entity of the United States, or by a person described in paragraph (2), pending destruction of the weapon. any person, including a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, who is authorized by law or by an appropriate officer of the United States to retain, own, possess, transfer, or receive the chemical weapon; or in an emergency situation, any otherwise nonculpable person if the person is attempting to destroy or seize the weapon. takes place in the United States; takes place outside of the United States and is committed by a national of the United States; is committed against a national of the United States while the national is outside the United States; or is committed against any property that is owned, leased, or used by the United States or by any department or agency of the United States, whether the property is within or outside the United States.