As originally enacted subsec. (b) contained a reference to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Act June 25, 1936, substituted “the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia” for “the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia”, and act June 25, 1948, as amended by act May 24, 1949, substituted “United States District Court for the District of Columbia” for “district court of the United States for the District of Columbia”. However, the words “United States District Court for the District of Columbia” have been deleted entirely as superfluous in view of section 132(a) of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which states that “There shall be in each judicial district a district court which shall be a court of record known as the United States District Court for the district”, and section 88 of Title 28 which states that “the District of Columbia constitutes one judicial district”.

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Sept. 8, 1916, ch. 463, § 706, 39 Stat. 797, as amended by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title III, § 318(f), 42 Stat. 947. These acts were superseded by section 333 of act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and section 318(f) of the 1922 act was repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.

1990—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 101–382 added subsec. (h).

1975—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 93–618, § 174(1), substituted “At the request of” for “Upon application of the Attorney General of the United States, at the request of”.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 93–618, § 174(2), added subsec. (g).

1970—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 91–452 struck out provisions relating to the immunity from prosecution of any natural person compelled to testify or produce evidence in obedience to the subpoena of the commission.

1958—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 85–686, § 9(a), substituted “For the purposes of carrying out its functions and duties in connection with any investigation authorized by law” for “For the purposes of carrying Part II of this subtitle into effect”, inserted provisions empowering the commission to require any person, firm, copartnership, corporation, or association to furnish in writing, in such detail and in such form as the commission may prescribe, information in their possession pertaining to an investigation.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 85–686, § 9(b), substituted “pending before the commission” for “pending under Part II of this subtitle”.

Amendment by Pub. L. 91–452 effective on sixtieth day following Oct. 15, 1970, and not to affect any immunity to which any individual is entitled under this section by reason of any testimony given before sixtieth day following Oct. 15, 1970, see section 260 of Pub. L. 91–452, set out as an Effective Date; Savings Provision note under section 6001 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.