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Arms Control and Disarmament Act of 1961
Great Seal of the United States
Long title An Act to establish a United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
Nicknames Arms Control and Disarmament Act
Enacted by the 87th United States Congress
Effective September 26, 1961
Citations
Public law 87-297
Statutes at Large 75 Stat. 631
Codification
Titles amended 22 U.S.C.: Foreign Relations and Intercourse
U.S.C. sections created 22 U.S.C. ch. 35 § 2551
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House as H.R. 9118 by Thomas E. Morgan (D-PA) on September 12, 1961
  • Committee consideration by House Foreign Affairs, Senate Foreign Relations
  • Passed the Senate on September 8, 1961 (73–14, in lieu of S. 2180)
  • Passed the House on September 19, 1961 (290–54)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on September 23, 1961; agreed to by the House on September 23, 1961 (253–50) and by the Senate on agreed 
  • Signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on September 26, 1961

The Arms Control and Disarmament Act of 1961, 22 U.S.C. § 2551, was created to establish a governing body for the control and reduction of apocalyptic armaments with regards to protect a world from the burdens of armaments and the scourge of war. The Act provided an important aspect for the Kennedy Administration's foreign policy which was coherent with the United States national security policy.

The H.R. 9118 legislation was passed by the United States 87th Congressional session and signed by the 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy on September 26, 1961.

Provisions of the Act

The Arms Control and Disarmament Act established the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA). The U.S. federal organization developed the formulation and implementation of the United States arms control and disarmament policy. The agency provided information and recommendations with regards to U.S. economic, foreign, and national security policies to executive and legislative officials of the United States government.

The Act established several core functions for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency;

  • Conduct, coordinate, and support the research of the formulation for the arms control and disarmament policy.
  • Management and preparation of the United States participation in international negotiations for the arms control and disarmament peace process.
  • Coordination and dissemination of United States public information concerning arms control and disarmament policy.
  • Operation and preparation, as appropriate, for the United States participation in control systems of domestic and international arms control and disarmament activities.

Titles of the Act

The federal statute was penned as four titles created as Chapter 35 within Title 22 which defines the United States foreign policies for international relations and intercourse records.

Title I — Short Title, Purpose, and Definitions

22 U.S.C. § 2551 ~ Purpose of Act
22 U.S.C. § 2552 ~ Definitions of Act

Title II — Organization

22 U.S.C. § 2561 ~ Establishment of agency
22 U.S.C. § 2562 ~ Director
22 U.S.C. § 2563 ~ Deputy Director
22 U.S.C. § 2564 ~ Assistant Directors
22 U.S.C. § 2565 ~ Bureaus, Offices, and Divisions
22 U.S.C. § 2566 ~ General Advisory Committee

Title III — Functions

22 U.S.C. § 2571 ~ Research
22 U.S.C. § 2572 ~ Patents
22 U.S.C. § 2573 ~ Policy formulation
22 U.S.C. § 2574 ~ Negotiations and related functions
22 U.S.C. § 2575 ~ Coordination

Title IV — General Provisions

22 U.S.C. § 2581 ~ General authority
22 U.S.C. § 2582 ~ Foreign Service Reserve and staff officers
22 U.S.C. § 2583 ~ Contracts or expenditures
22 U.S.C. § 2584 ~ Conflict of interest and dual compensation laws
22 U.S.C. § 2585 ~ Security requirements
22 U.S.C. § 2586 ~ Comptroller General audit
22 U.S.C. § 2587 ~ Transfer of activities and facilities to agency
22 U.S.C. § 2588 ~ Use of funds
22 U.S.C. § 2589 ~ Appropriation
22 U.S.C. § 2590 ~ Report to Congress

Amendments to 1961 Act

Chronological timeline of authorizations for U.S. Congressional legislation related to United States arms control and disarmament provisions.

Date of Enactment Public Law Number U.S. Statute Citation U.S. Legislative Bill U.S. Presidential Administration
November 26, 1963 P.L. 88-186 77 Stat. 341 S. 777 Lyndon B. Johnson
May 22, 1965 P.L. 89-27 79 Stat. 117 H.R. 2998 Lyndon B. Johnson
May 23, 1968 P.L. 90-314 82 Stat. 129 H.R. 14940 Lyndon B. Johnson
May 12, 1970 P.L. 91-246 84 Stat. 207 S. 3544 Richard M. Nixon
July 8, 1974 P.L. 93-332 88 Stat. 289 H.R. 12799 Richard M. Nixon
August 17, 1977 P.L. 95-108 91 Stat. 871 H.R. 6179 Jimmy E. Carter
December 2, 1983 P.L. 98-202 97 Stat. 1381 H.R. 2906 Ronald W. Reagan
December 24, 1987 P.L. 100-213 101 Stat. 1444 H.R. 2689 Ronald W. Reagan
December 11, 1989 P.L. 101-216 103 Stat. 1853 H.R. 1495 George H.W. Bush
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