50 U.S.C. § 843: Application of Internal…

Summary

People who knowingly join or stay in the Communist Party, or in any group that aims to take over or overthrow the U.S. or a state government by force or violence, will be treated as members of a "Communist-action" group and must follow the penalties and rules of the Internal Security Act of 1950. "Communist Party" here means the Communist Party of the United States, its state and local branches, and any parts of those groups, even if they change their name later.

Title 50, §843

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(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.

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.

§843 Application of Internal Security Act of 1950 to Members of Communist Party and Other Subversive Organizations; “communist Party” Defined