# Civil Rights Act of 1960 *United States federal civil rights statute (Pub. L. 86–449, 74 Stat. 89), signed May 6, 1960* The **Civil Rights Act of 1960** (Pub. L. 86–449, 74 Stat. 89) is a United States federal law. It established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and set penalties for obstructing a person's attempt to register to vote. Its other provisions made obstruction of court orders a crime, aimed at resistance to the Supreme Court's school desegregation decisions; provided free education for the children of military members; and outlawed flight to avoid prosecution for property damage. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it on May 6, 1960. It was the fifth civil rights act in United States history, and it was enacted to close loopholes in the Civil Rights Act of 1957.[^1] The law was aimed mainly at discriminatory laws and practices in the segregated South. Those laws and practices had kept African Americans and Tejanos from voting since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During the House debate, a "voter referees" plan was added by amendment. The timeline row records the act's creation of federal voting referees.[^1][^6] In [[Minnesota]], the act is one of two federal statutes cited in a suit the United States filed on September 25, 2025, against Secretary of State [[Steve Simon]] and the State of Minnesota. The other is the [[Help America Vote Act]] (HAVA). The complaint seeks the unredacted statewide voter registration list. The State relies on Minn. Stat. §201.091, the Minnesota statute governing voter lists. The case, *[[United States v. Simon]]*, No. 0:25-cv-03761 (D. Minn.), is active as of the record.[^2][^3] ## Background ### Reconstruction era Reconstruction followed the American Civil War and lasted from 1865 to 1877. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were ratified during that period, with the aim of giving African Americans the same civil rights as white Americans. The three are known together as the Reconstruction Amendments.[^4] ### Mid- and post-Reconstruction By 1873, Supreme Court rulings were narrowing the reach of Reconstruction legislation. Many whites used intimidation and violence against African American voting rights. The Compromise of 1877 closed the era. Southern Democrats then largely stopped adhering to Reconstruction legislation and stopped intervening in Southern voting practices, and disenfranchisement of African American voters spread. Jim Crow laws blocked African American votes, barred integration of public facilities such as schools, and prohibited interracial marriage in the South.[^4] ### Public opinion Resistance to desegregation and racial equality persisted in much of U.S. public opinion through the 1950s, most strongly in the South. By the end of the decade, civil rights activists had begun applying pressure for legislation.[^4] ## Presidential involvement ### President Dwight D. Eisenhower Eisenhower sent Congress a message on February 5, 1959. In it he stated that "every individual regardless of his race, religion, or national origin is entitled to the equal protection of the laws." The message carried seven recommendations: - tougher laws against threats to obstruct court orders in school desegregation cases; - more investigative authority for the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] in crimes destroying schools or churches; - power for the Attorney General to investigate federal election records; - temporary aid to agencies adjusting to school desegregation decisions; - education for the children of the armed forces; - consideration of a statutory Commission on Equal Job Opportunity Under Government Contracts; - a two-year extension of the Civil Rights Commission.[^5] ### State of the Union Address In his State of the Union address of January 7, 1960, Eisenhower cited constitutionality as grounds for civil rights legislation. He noted that some citizens were still denied the vote despite constitutional guarantees, and he called protecting that right a top priority.[^5] ## Legislative history ### House of Representatives H.R. 8601 was introduced in the House on August 10, 1959. It went to the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Representative Emanuel Celler of Brooklyn. The Judiciary Committee approved the bill quickly, but it then sat for six months because the Rules Committee blocked it from the floor. Celler filed a discharge petition to bypass the Rules Committee. A majority of 219 signatures was required, and the petition was instituted early with 209. A "voter referees" plan replaced Representative Robert Kastenmeier's "enrollment officers" plan by amendment. On March 24, 1960, the House passed the bill 311–109: - **Aye:** 179 Democrats and 132 Republicans. - **Nay:** 93 Democrats, 15 Republicans and 1 Independent Democrat. - **Present:** 2 Democrats and 1 Republican.[^6] ### Senate The bill reached the Senate on March 24, 1960, and was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee was chaired by Mississippi Senator James Eastland and tried to keep the bill from a floor vote. After amendment, the Senate passed H.R. 8601 on April 8, 1960, by 71–18. Of the ayes, 42 were Democrats and 29 were Republicans.[^6] ## Titles ### Title I: Obstruction of Court Orders Title I amended Chapter 17 of title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. § 1509). It made any willful attempt to interfere with rights or duties under a court order a crime. The penalty is a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both.[^7] ### Title II: Flight from Prosecution, Explosives, Threats and False Information Section 201 amended Chapter 49 of title 18 (18 U.S.C. § 1074). It outlawed interstate or international flight to avoid prosecution for damaging or destroying a building or structure, and flight to avoid testifying in such a case. The penalty is a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. Section 203 amended Chapter 39 of title 18 (18 U.S.C. § 837). It outlawed transporting or possessing explosives with intent to damage a building or property. It also outlawed conveying threats or false information about damaging or destroying any building or property.[^7] ### Title III: Federal Election Records Section 301 provides for preserving all election records and papers that come into an officer's or custodian's possession and relate to a poll tax or other voting act in an election. Puerto Rico is excluded. An officer who does not comply may be fined up to $1,000, imprisoned, or both.[^7] ## Subsequent history As the fifth federal civil rights law, the 1960 act preceded the broader laws of 1964 and 1965. The 1957 and 1960 acts were largely confined to voting rights. Before the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, both earlier acts were considered ineffective at securing civil rights.[^8] The 1960 act covered race and color but not national origin, although Eisenhower's message to Congress had sought national-origin coverage. His proposal to extend the Civil Rights Commission was left out in 1960 and was later instituted in 1964. The 1964 and 1965 laws went on to fulfill the seven goals he had set out in 1959.[^8] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the act.[^1] - The defendants in the 2025 action are Secretary of State Steve Simon and the State of Minnesota.[^2][^3] - The case record pairs the complaint with a published statement from Secretary Simon's office.[^9] ### What - According to the complaint, the Secretary refused to provide the unredacted Statewide Voter Registration List. The United States seeks the list under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and HAVA. The State's defense rests on Minn. Stat. §201.091.[^2][^3] - The record does not establish which title of the 1960 act the complaint relies on.[^2] ### When - The act was signed on May 6, 1960.[^1] - The complaint was filed on September 25, 2025.[^2] - The case's status is "active" as of the record.[^3] ### Where - The case is in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, No. 0:25-cv-03761.[^2] ## See also - [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] - [[Help America Vote Act]] - [[United States v. Simon]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Civil Rights Act of 1960* (rev. 1366884024, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead section — citation, enactment date, purposes, signature, "fifth" act; timeline row TL-0106 (federal voting referees). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1960 [^2]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Complaint, United States v. Steve Simon and State of Minnesota*, No. 0:25-cv-03761 (D. Minn., filed 2025-09-25) — parties, court, docket, filing date, and the claim for the statewide voter list under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and HAVA. https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1415121/dl [^3]: KSTP, *DOJ sues Minnesota Secretary of State Simon over refusal to turn over voter rolls* (news/tracker) — reporting of the federal suit and its status. https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/doj-sues-minnesota-secretary-of-state-simon-over-refusal-to-turn-over-voter-rolls/ [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Civil Rights Act of 1960* (rev. 1366884024, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Background" — Reconstruction, post-Reconstruction disenfranchisement, 1950s public opinion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1960 [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Civil Rights Act of 1960* (rev. 1366884024, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Presidential involvement" — February 5, 1959 message, seven recommendations, January 7, 1960 State of the Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1960 [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Civil Rights Act of 1960* (rev. 1366884024, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Legislative history" — H.R. 8601, committee history, discharge petition, House and Senate votes by party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1960 [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Civil Rights Act of 1960* (rev. 1366884024, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Titles" — Titles I–III, U.S. Code sections amended, penalties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1960 [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *Civil Rights Act of 1960* (rev. 1366884024, retrieved 2026-10-26), section "Subsequent history" — relation to the 1964 and 1965 acts, national-origin omission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1960 [^9]: Minnesota Secretary of State, *Statement from Secretary Simon on federal Minnesota voter integrity act* (undated in pack) — listed as the secondary source in case row FA-4. https://www.sos.mn.gov/about-the-office/news-room/statement-from-secretary-simon-on-federal-minnesota-voter-integrity-act