Federal · Title 2 — The Congress

2 U.S.C. § 192: Refusal of witness to testify or produce papers

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person summoned to testify or produce papers before Congress who fails to appear or refuses to answer relevant questions commits a misdemeanor punishable by fine and jail time up to one year.

Read the full statutory text
Every person who having been summoned as a witness by the authority of either House of Congress to give testimony or to produce papers upon any matter under inquiry before either House, or any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or any committee of either House of Congress, willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 nor less than $100 and imprisonment in a common jail for not less than one month nor more than twelve months.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.