Communist Control Act of 1954

Communist Control Act of 1954
Long titleAn Act to outlaw the Communist Party, to prohibit members of Communist organizations from serving in certain representative capacities, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)CCA
Enacted bythe 83rd United States Congress
EffectiveAugust 24, 1954
Citations
Public law83-637
Statutes at Large68 Stat. 775
Codification
Titles amended50 U.S.C.: War and National Defense
U.S.C. sections created50 U.S.C. ch. 23, subch. IV § 841 et seq.
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 3706 by John Marshall Butler (R–MD) on July 6, 1954
  • Committee consideration by Senate Judiciary
  • Passed the Senate on August 12, 1954 (85–0)
  • Passed the House on August 16, 1954 (305–2)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on August 19, 1954; agreed to by the Senate on August 19, 1954 (79–0) and by the House on August 19, 1954 (266–2)
  • Signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 24, 1954

The Communist Control Act of 1954 (68 Stat. 775, 50 U.S.C. §§ 841–844) is an American law signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on August 24, 1954, that outlawed the Communist Party USA and criminalized membership in or support for the party or "Communist-action organizations", on the basis that communists vowed to overthrow the government of the United States. The act also defines evidence to be considered by a jury in determining participation in the activities, planning, actions, objectives, or purposes of such organizations. Although enacted during the height of Cold War tensions, the Communist Control Act was not intended to serve as a tool for imprisoning political opponents or for suppressing constitutionally protected democratic participation.

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