Title 50War and National DefenseRelease 119-73

§843 Application of Internal Security Act of 1950 to members of Communist Party and other subversive organizations; “Communist Party” defined

Title 50 › Chapter CHAPTER 23— - INTERNAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - COMMUNIST CONTROL › § 843

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Anyone who knowingly and on purpose joins or stays a member of the Communist Party, or of any group whose goal is to establish, control, seize, or overthrow the U.S. government, a state government, or a local government by force or violence, and who knows that goal, will be treated as a member of a "Communist-action" organization and will be subject to the rules and penalties in the Internal Security Act of 1950. "Communist Party" means the Communist Party of the United States of America, any state or local Communist Party, and any unit or subdivision of those organizations, even if they later change their name.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §843

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever knowingly and willfully becomes or remains a member of (1) the Communist Party, or (2) any other organization having for one of its purposes or objectives the establishment, control, conduct, seizure, or overthrow of the Government of the United States, or the government of any State or political subdivision thereof, by the use of force or violence, with knowledge of the purpose or objective of such organization shall be subject to all the provisions and penalties of the Internal Security Act of 1950, as amended [50 U.S.C. 781 et seq.], as a member of a “Communist-action” organization.
(b)For the purposes of this section, the term “Communist Party” means the organization now known as the Communist Party of the United States of America, the Communist Party of any State or subdivision thereof, and any unit or subdivision of any such organization, whether or not any change is hereafter made in the name thereof.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Internal Security Act of 1950, as amended, referred to in subsec. (a), is act Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, 64 Stat. 987, which is classified principally to subchapters I to III of this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 781 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Communist Control Act of 1954, and not as part of the Internal Security Act of 1950 which comprises subchapters I to III of this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 843

Title 50War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73