An Act to amend the immunity provision relating to testimony given by witnesses before either House of Congress or their committees
PL 83-600 (S.16), enacted 08/20/1954

68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 600-AUG. 20, 1954 
745 
Public Law 600 
CHAPTER 769 
AN ACT 
To permit the compelling of testimony under certain conditions and to grant 
immunity from prosecution in connection therewith. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That title 18, United 
States Code, section 3486, is amended to read as follows: 
"§ 3486. Compelled testimony tending to incriminate witnesses; 
immunity 
"(a) In the course of any investigation relating to any interference 
with or endangering of, or any plans or attempts to interfere with or 
endanger the national security or defense of the United States by 
treason, sabotage, espionage, sedition, seditious conspiracy or the 
overthrow of its Government by force or violence, no witness shall 
be excused from testifying or from producing books, papers, or other 
evidence before either House, or before any committee of either 
House, or before any joint committee of the two Houses of Congress 
on the ground that the testimony or evidence required of him may 
tend to incriminate him or subject him to a penalty or forfeiture,, 
when the record shows that— 
"(1) in the case of proceedings before one of the Houses of 
Congress, that a majority of the members present of that House; 
or 
"(2) in the case of proceedings before a committee, that two-
thirds of the members of the full committee shall by affirmative 
vote have authorized such witness to be granted immunity under 
this section with respect to the transactions, matters, or things 
concerning which he is compelled, after having claimed his 
privilege against self-incrimination to testify or produce evi-
dence by direction of the presiding officer and 
that an order of the United States district court for the district 
wherein the inquiry is being carried on has been entered into the 
record requiring said person to testify or produce evidence. 
Such 
an order may be issued by a United States district court judge upon 
application by a duly authorized representative of the Congress or of 
the committee concerned. 
But no such witness shall be prosecuted 
or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any 
transaction, matter, or thing concerning which he is so compelled, 
after having claimed his privilege against self-incrimination, to 
testify or produce evidence, nor shall testimony so compelled be used 
as evidence in any criminal proceeding (except prosecutions described 
in subsection (d) hereof) against him in any court. 
"(b) Neither House nor any committee thereof nor any joint com-
mittee of the two Houses of Congress shall grant immunity to any 
witness without first having notified the Attorney General of the 
United States of such action and thereafter having secured the 
approval of the United States district court for the district wherein 
such inquiry is being held. The Attorney General of the United States 
shall be notified of the time of each proposed application to the United 
States district court and shall be given the opportunity to be heard 
with respect thereto prior to the entrance into the record of the order 
of the district court. 
"(c) Whenever in the judgment of a United States attorney the 
testimony of any witness, or the production of books, papers, or other 
evidence by any witness, in any case or proceeding before any grand 
jury or court of the United States involving any interference with or 
endangering of, or any plans or attempts to interfere with or endanger, 
August 20, 1954 
[S. 16] 
Witnesses b e-
fore Congress. 
Immunity. 
62 Stat. 833. 
746 
PUBLIC LAW 601-AUG. 20, 1954 
[68 ST A T . 
50 u s e 781 note. 
4 2 u s e 
1 8 0 1 
note. 
8 u s e 
1182(a), 
1251(a), 1424(a). 
Perjury 
tempt. 
the national security or defense of the United States by treason, 
sabotage, espionage, sedition, seditious conspiracy, violations of chap-
ter 115 of title 18 of the United States Code, violations of the Internal 
Security Act of 1950 (64 Stat. 987), violations of the Atomic Energy 
Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 755), as amended, violations of sections 212 (a) 
(27), (28), (29) or 241 (a) (6), (7) or 313 (a) of the Immigration 
and Naticjnality Act (66 Stat. 182-186; 204-206; 240-241), and con-
spiracies involving any of the foregoing, is necessary to the public 
interest, he, upon the approval of the Attorney General, shall make 
application to the court that the witness shall be instructed to testify 
or produce evidence subject to the provisions of this section, and upon 
order of the court such witness shall not be excused from testifying or 
from producing books, papers, or other evidence on the ground that 
the testimony or evidence required of him may tend to incriminate him 
or subject him to a penalty or forfeiture. 
But no such witness shall 
be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on 
account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which he is 
compelled, after having claimed his privilege against self-incrimina-
tion, to testify or produce evidence, nor shall testimony so compelled 
be used as evidence in any criminal proceeding (except prosecution 
described in subsection (d) hereof) against him in any court. 
"(d) No witness shall be exempt under the provision of this section 
from prosecution for perjury or contempt committed while giving 
testimony or producing evidence under compulsion as provided in this 
section." 
SEC. 2. The analysis of chapter 223 of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by striking out 
"3486. Testimony before Congress; immunity." 
and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 
"3486. Compelled testimony tending to incriminate witness; immunity." 
Approved August 20, 1954. 
August 20, 1954 
[S. J. Res. 140] 
Public Law 601 
CHAPTER 770 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
To establish a commission for the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary 
of the birth of Alexander Hamilton. 
A l e x a n d e r 
Hamilton B i c e n -
t e n n i a l Commis-
sion. 
Establishment. 
Members, 
Duties. 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby estab-
lished a commission to be known as the "Alexander Hamilton Bicen-
tennial Commission" (hereinafter referred to as the "Commission") 
which shall be composed of nineteen Commissioners as follows: The 
President of the United States, the President of the Senate, and the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, all ex officio; and eight 
persons to be appointed by the President of the United States, four 
Senators to be appointed by the President of the Senate, and four 
Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives. 
SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of the Commission to prepare plans 
and a program for signalizing the two hundredth anniversary of the 
birth of Alexander Hamilton. 
In preparing such plans and program 
the Commission shall give due consideration to any plan or plans 
which may be submitted to it, and to take such steps as may be 
necessary to coordinate and correlate its plans with those prepared 
by State or civic bodies. If the participation of other nations in