110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–200 

EMMETT TILL UNSOLVED CIVIL RIGHTS CRIME ACT 

OF 2007 

JUNE 19, 2007.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. CONYERS, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 923] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 923) to establish an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil 

Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and an Unsolved 

Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and for other purposes, having 

considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment 

and recommends that the bill as amended do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

The Amendment ...................................................................................................... 1 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 3 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 4 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 6 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 6 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 6 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 7 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 7 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 7 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 9 

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 9 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 9 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 10 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 11 

THE AMENDMENT

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 


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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 

2007’’. 

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

It is the sense of Congress that all authorities with jurisdiction, including the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation and other entities within the Department of Justice, should— 

(1) expeditiously investigate unsolved civil rights murders, due to the 

amount of time that has passed since the murders and the age of potential witnesses; and 

(2) provide all the resources necessary to ensure timely and thorough investigations in the cases involved. 

SEC. 3. DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE CRIMINAL SECTION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall designate a Deputy Chief in the 

Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. 

(b) RESPONSIBILITY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Deputy Chief shall be responsible for coordinating the 

investigation and prosecution of violations of criminal civil rights statutes that 

occurred not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted in a death. 

(2) COORDINATION.—In investigating a complaint under paragraph (1), the 

Deputy Chief may coordinate investigative activities with State and local law 

enforcement officials. 

(c) STUDY AND REPORT.— 

(1) STUDY.—The Attorney General shall annually conduct a study of the 

cases under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Chief or under the jurisdiction of the 

Supervisory Special Agent and, in conducting the study, shall determine— 

(A) the number of open investigations within the Department for violations of criminal civil rights statutes that occurred not later than December 

31, 1969; 

(B) the number of new cases opened pursuant to this Act since the previous year’s study; 

(C) the number of unsealed Federal cases charged within the study period, including the case names, the jurisdiction in which the charges were 

brought, and the date the charges were filed; 

(D) the number of cases referred by the Department to a State or local 

law enforcement agency or prosecutor within the study period, the number 

of such cases that resulted in State charges being filed, the jurisdiction in 

which such charges were filed, the date the charges were filed, and if a jurisdiction declines to prosecute or participate in an investigation of a case 

so referred, the fact it did so; 

(E) the number of cases within the study period that were closed without Federal prosecution, the case names of unsealed Federal cases, the 

dates the cases were closed, and the relevant federal statutes; 

(F) the number of attorneys who worked, in whole or in part, on any 

case described in subsection (b)(1); and 

(G) the applications submitted for grants under section 5, the award of 

such grants, and the purposes for which the grant amount were expended. 

(2) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this 

Act, and each year thereafter, the Attorney General shall prepare and submit 

to Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1). 

SEC. 4. SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS UNIT OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU 

OF INVESTIGATION. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall designate a Supervisory Special 

Agent in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice. 

(b) RESPONSIBILITY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Supervisory Special Agent shall be responsible for investigating violations of criminal civil rights statutes that occurred not later 

than December 31, 1969, and resulted in a death. 

(2) COORDINATION.—In investigating a complaint under paragraph (1), the 

Supervisory Special Agent may coordinate the investigative activities with State 

and local law enforcement officials. 

SEC. 5. GRANTS TO STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may award grants to State or local law 

enforcement agencies for expenses associated with the investigation and prosecution 


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by them of criminal offenses, involving civil rights, that occurred not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted in a death. 

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appro- priated $2,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2017 to carry out this 

section. 

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated, in addition to any 

other amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for this purpose, to the Attorney General $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2017 for the 

purpose of investigating and prosecuting violations of criminal civil rights statutes 

that occurred not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted in a death. These 

funds shall be allocated by the Attorney General to the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division and the Supervisory Special Agent of the 

Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to advance the 

purposes set forth in this Act. 

(b) COMMUNITY RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.—In addition to any amounts authorized to be appropriated under title XI of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000h et seq.), there are authorized to be appropriated to 

the Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice $1,500,000 for fiscal 

year 2008 and each subsequent fiscal year, to enable the Service (in carrying out 

the functions described in title X of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2000g et seq.)) to provide 

technical assistance by bringing together law enforcement agencies and communities in the investigation of violations of criminal civil rights statutes, in cases described in section 4(b). 

SEC. 7. DEFINITION OF ‘‘CRIMINAL CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES’’. 

In this Act, the term ‘‘criminal civil rights statutes’’ means— 

(1) section 241 of title 18, United States Code (relating to conspiracy 

against rights); 

(2) section 242 of title 18, United States Code (relating to deprivation of 

rights under color of law); 

(3) section 245 of title 18, United States Code (relating to federally protected activities); 

(4) sections 1581 and 1584 of title 18, United States Code (relating to involuntary servitude and peonage); 

(5) section 901 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3631); and 

(6) any other Federal law that— 

(A) was in effect on or before December 31, 1969; and 

(B) the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department 

of Justice enforced, before the date of enactment of this Act. 

SEC. 8. SUNSET. 

Sections 2 through 6 of this Act shall cease to have effect at the end of fiscal 

year 2017. 

SEC. 9. AUTHORITY OF INSPECTORS GENERAL. 

Title XXXVII of the Crime Control Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 5779 et seq.) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 3703. AUTHORITY OF INSPECTORS GENERAL. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An Inspector General appointed under section 3 or 8G of the 

Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) may authorize staff to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children— 

‘‘(1) by conducting reviews of inactive case files to develop recommendations 

for further investigations; and 

‘‘(2) by engaging in similar activities. 

‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS.— 

‘‘(1) PRIORITY.—An Inspector General may not permit staff to engage in activities described in subsection (a) if such activities will interfere with the duties 

of the Inspector General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 

App.). 

‘‘(2) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 

carry out this section.’’. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 923, the ‘‘Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 

2007,’’ is intended to expand the prosecution of unsolved civil rights 

crimes resulting in death that occurred on or before December 31, 


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1Shaila Dewan, Push to resolve fading killings of rights era, N.Y. TIMES, Feb. 3, 2007, at A11. 2 Id. 

3Patrik Jonsson, Feds Turn Up Heat to Solve Cold Cases of Civil Rights Days, CHRISTIAN SCI. 

MONITOR, Apr. 4, 2007, at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0404/p02s01-usju.htm. 

1969 by authorizing additional funding to the Criminal Section of 

the Civil Rights Section of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the 

Civil Rights Section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 

and the FBI’s Community Relations Department. The bill would 

designate specific administrative authority for the investigation 

and prosecution of unsolved Civil Rights Era crimes and require an 

annual accounting to Congress on the progress of the investigative 

initiatives, with a 10-year sunset provision. In addition, the bill 

amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to authorize Inspector General staff to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited 

Children by conducting reviews of inactive case files to develop recommendations for further investigations. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

The press and the civil rights community have reported that for 

every infamous killing that tore at the South in the 1950’s and 

’60’s, there were many more that were barely noted, much less investigated. Virtually all such cases gained momentum only when 

the victims of the past found voices in the present.1 Despite highprofile convictions over the last two decades, there are many killers 

from the Civil Rights Era who have not yet been brought to justice. 

Indeed, many surviving family members of African American victims did not even report racist crimes in the belief that these 

crimes would not be investigated and that seeking justice would 

subject them to reprisal violence.2 Consequently, despite high-profile convictions over the last two decades, most murderers from the 

Civil Rights Era have not been brought to justice. 

Although many of the most notorious murders took place in Mississippi, there were racially-motivated murders throughout the 

South with many of the victims targeted because of their involvement in civil rights work. Examples of these unsolved cases include: 

• the 1968 ‘‘Orangeburg Massacre’’ at South Carolina State 

University where State police shot and killed three student 

protesters; 

• the 1967 shooting death of Carrie Brumfield, whose body 

was found on a rural Louisiana road; 

• the 1957 murder of Willie Joe Sanford, whose body was 

fished out of a creek in Hawkinsville, Georgia; 

• the 1946 killing of a black couple, one of whom was a pregnant woman; the couple was pulled out of a car in Monroe, 

Georgia and dragged down a wagon trail before being shot 

in front of 200 people.3

H.R. 923 is named after one of the most infamous of these cases. 

Emmett Till was a 14-year-old boy from Chicago who allegedly 

whistled at a white woman and thereafter was found tortured and 

murdered. The killers—Roy Bryant, the woman’s husband, and 

J.W. Milam, his half-brother—were tried, but acquitted by an allwhite jury. Notably, a recent attempt to obtain a Federal indictment in this case was unsuccessful. 


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4 Robert S. Mueller, III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Speech at the News Conference on the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Cold Case Initiative (Feb. 27, 2007), at 

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller022707.htm. The Southern Poverty Law Center has 

identified its own list of 74 unresolved killings, many involving white police officers who allegedly shot or beat to death black victims. Patrik Jonsson, Feds Turn Up Heat to Solve Cold Cases 

of Civil Rights Days, CHRISTIAN SCI. MONITOR, Apr. 4, 2007, at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/ 

0404/p02s01-usju.htm. 5 Robert S. Mueller, III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Speech at the News Conference on the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Cold Case Initiative (Feb. 27, 2007), at 

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller022707.htm. 6 Id. 

7Patrik Jonsson, Feds Turn Up Heat to Solve Cold Cases of Civil Rights Days, CHRISTIAN SCI. MONITOR, Apr. 4, 2007, at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0404/p02s01-usju.htm. 8Jury Selection Begins in 1964 Mississippi Murder Case, ASSOC. PRESS, May 30, 2007. 9 Id. The case has been the subject of a documentary made by David Ridgen of the Canadian 

Broadcasting Corp. called ‘‘Mississippi Cold Case,’’ which aired June 2, 2007 on MSNBC. Id. 10Jury Selection Begins in 1964 Mississippi Murder Case, ASSOC. PRESS, May 30, 2007. 

The FBI has recently made an effort to reopen some of these cold 

cases. Earlier this year, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller announced 

that the Bureau had identified approximately 100 civil rights ‘‘cold 

cases’’ that merited further investigation.4 He stated, ‘‘We will do 

everything we can to close those cases, and to close this dark chapter in our nation’s history.’’ 5 Director Mueller explained: 

[M]any murders during the Civil Rights era were not fully investigated, were covered up, or were misidentified as an accidental death or disappearance. Many trails ran cold, and many 

cases were effectively closed.6

Investigators have made some progress on these old cases, in 

part because of the recent cooperation between Federal and local 

law enforcement officers on crimes involving drugs and weapons. In 

addition, the press has played a crucial role in bringing the stories 

of racial violence during the Civil Rights Era to light. In some 

cases, reporters have tracked down perpetrators and built the initial records supporting prosecution. Experts also claim that societal 

changes have helped change the climate so that some of these old 

cases may be brought. As one observer noted, ‘‘Many segregationist 

viewpoints have died with the previous generation or mellowed 

with age. . . . And, in hindsight, many see that the biblical justification for violence . . . was misguided.’’ 7

A major trial concerning one of these unsolved civil rights crimes 

is currently taking place in Jackson, Mississippi. Klan member 

James Seale has been charged with the 1964 abduction, beating 

and drowning of two black teenagers, Charles Eddie Moore and 

Henry Hezekiah Dee.8 Mr. Seale and Charles Edwards were originally arrested in 1964, but the state of Mississippi dismissed all 

charges against them. The DOJ reopened the case in 2000 and Mr. 

Edwards was subsequently granted immunity to testify for the 

prosecution.9

Some have questioned the value of prosecuting cases that are so 

old. Nevertheless, Rita Bender, the widow of slain civil rights worker Michael Schwerner, describes what it is like for the families of 

the victims who never received justice: 

On the one hand, you could say it’s old because it happened 

so long ago. . . . On the other hand, the very fact that there 

has been no acknowledgment until now indicates that it is not 

old history. It is present business.’’ 10

H.R. 923 does not seek to establish or expand Federal jurisdiction to prosecute civil rights crimes; it merely authorizes funding 


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11Letter from William E. Moschella, Assistant Attorney General, to Jim Talent, U.S. Senator 

(June 27, 2006) (on file with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee). 

to establish a special program within the DOJ to do so. Under current law, the Federal criminal civil rights statutes have a 5-year 

statute of limitations from the date of the incident, which limits 

the scope of criminal prosecutions. Assistant Attorney General William Moschella expressed concern that legislation, which conferred 

Federal jurisdiction to prosecute civil rights crimes, could possibly 

violate the Ex Post Facto Clause of the U.S. Constitution. He explained: 

‘‘[T]he Constitution bars S. 2679 (legislation introduced in the 

109th Congress) from retroactively conferring Federal jurisdiction to prosecute such civil rights crimes. Two of the most important Federal statutes for prosecuting racially motivated 

homicides, 18 U.S.C. sec. 245 and 42 U.S.C. sec. 3631, were not 

enacted until 1968. Moreover, for crimes committed prior to 

December 31, 1969, virtually all Federal criminal civil rights 

statutes carried a 5-year statute of limitations, even where 

death resulted.11

The Federal Government is limited in what kinds of prosecutions 

it can bring regarding these cases. Specifically, the DOJ would not 

likely be able to establish Federal jurisdiction by virtue of the fact 

that the crime was a civil rights crime. Rather, there would need 

to be another basis on which to establish Federal jurisdiction. 

Therefore, many, if not most, of these crimes will actually have to 

be brought at the State and local level. 

HEARINGS

The Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, 

and Civil Liberties and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, 

and Homeland Security jointly held 1 day of hearings on H.R. 923 

on June 12, 2007. Testimony was received from Myrlie Evers-Williams, activist, community leader and widow of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers; Richard Cohen, President and Chief Executive 

Officer of the Southern Poverty Law Center; G. Douglas Jones, 

former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama; Rita Bender, attorney, activist and widow of slain civil 

rights activist Michael Schwerner; Alvin Sykes, President of the 

Emmett Till Justice Campaign, Inc.; and Grace Chung Becker, 

Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the DOJ Civil Rights Division. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On June 12, 2007, the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil 

Rights, and Civil Liberties met in open session and ordered the bill 

H.R. 923 favorably reported, as amended, by voice vote, a quorum 

being present. On June 13, 2007, the Committee met in open session and ordered the bill H.R. 923 favorably reported with an 

amendment, by voice vote, a quorum being present. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 


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no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

923. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 923, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, June 19, 2007. 

Hon. JOHN CONYERS, Jr., Chairman, 

Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 923, the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Daniel Hoople, who can 

be reached at 226–2860. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG, 

DIRECTOR. 

Enclosure 

cc: Honorable Lamar S. Smith. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 923—Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. 

SUMMARY

H.R. 923 would authorize the appropriation of $10 million a year 

over the 2008–2017 period for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to 

investigate and prosecute certain unsolved homicides committed 

prior to 1970. The bill also would authorize the appropriation of 

$3.5 million annually over the 2008–2017 period to provide technical assistance to State and local law enforcement agencies, as 

well as make grants to those agencies for expenses related to the 

investigation and prosecution of such crimes. CBO estimates that 


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implementing H.R. 923 would cost $10 million in 2008 and $63 million over the 2008–2012 period, subject to appropriation of the authorized amounts. Enacting this legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues. 

H.R. 923 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no cost on State, local, or tribal governments. 

ESTIMATED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 923 is shown in the following table. The cost of this legislation falls within budget function 750 (administration of justice). 

BASIS OF ESTIMATE

For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 923 would be enacted 

near the end of fiscal year 2007 and that the authorized amounts 

will be appropriated for each year. We estimate that implementing 

H.R. 923 would cost a total of $10 million in 2008 and $63 million 

over the 2008–2012 period. 

By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Investigation and Prosecution of Unsolved Crimes 

Authorization Level 10 10 10 10 10 

Estimated Outlays 9 10 10 10 10 

Grants to State and Local Law Enforcement 

Authorization Level 2 2 2 2 2 

Estimated Outlays 0 1 1 2 2 

Community Relations Service 

Authorization Level 2 2 2 2 2 

Estimated Outlays 1 1 2 2 2 

Total Changes 

Authorization Level 14 14 14 14 14 

Estimated Outlays 10 12 13 14 14 

Investigation and Prosecution of Unsolved Crimes 

H.R. 923 would authorize the appropriation of $10 million a year 

over the 2008–2017 period for the investigation and prosecution of 

civil rights violations involving homicides committed before 1970. 

The legislation would direct the Attorney General to designate a 

Deputy Chief in the Civil Rights Division of DOJ to coordinate with 

a newly created Supervisory Special Agent in the Civil Rights Unit 

of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to carry out those responsibilities. Based on the spending patterns for similar DOJ activities, CBO estimates that implementing this provision would cost $9 

million in 2008 and $49 million over the 2008–2012 period. 

Grants to State and Local Law Enforcement 

H.R. 923 would authorize the appropriation of $2 million annually over the 2008–2017 period for DOJ to make grants to State 

and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute 

certain civil rights cases. CBO estimates that implementing this 

provision would cost $6 million over the 2008–2012 period. 


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Community Relations Service 

H.R. 923 would authorize the appropriation of $1.5 million a year 

over the 2008–2017 period for the Community Relations Service of 

DOJ to aid in investigating and prosecuting those unsolved civil 

rights cases. Costs would include technical assistance and other expenses related to the coordination of law enforcement officials and 

affected communities with DOJ. CBO estimates that this provision 

would cost $1 million in 2008 and nearly $8 million over the 2008– 

2012 period. 

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE-SECTOR IMPACT

H.R. 923 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on State, 

local, or tribal governments. 

PREVIOUS CBO ESTIMATE

On June 19, 2007, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 535, 

the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on June 14, 2007. 

The two bills are very similar, and the CBO cost estimates are 

identical. 

ESTIMATE PREPARED BY: 

Federal Costs: Daniel Hoople and Mark Grabowicz (226–2860) 

Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Melissa Merrell 

(225–3220) 

Impact on the Private Sector: Paige Piper/Bach (226–2940) 

ESTIMATE APPROVED BY: 

Peter H. Fontaine 

Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis 

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 923 will assist 

in the investigation and prosecution of cold cases from the Civil 

Rights Era and provide resources to fund State and local investigations where Federal jurisdiction is not available for the prosecution 

of these cases 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for this legislation in article I, section 8, clause 18 of the Constitution and section 5 of the 14th amendment. 

ADVISORY ON EARMARKS

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 923 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of Rule XXI. 


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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Sec. 1. Short Title. Section 1 sets forth the short title of the bill 

as the ‘‘Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007.’’ 

Sec. 2. Sense of Congress. Section 2 expresses a sense of the Congress that the Department of Justice should expeditiously investigate and resolve unsolved civil rights era murders and provide all 

necessary resources. 

Sec. 3. Deputy Chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights 

Division. Section 3 requires the Attorney General to designate a 

Deputy Chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights division 

to be responsible for coordinating the investigation and prosecution 

of violations of criminal civil rights statutes that occurred on or before December 31, 1969 and ended in death. It also requires a 

study and report to Congress about the number of cases opened, 

the number of Federal prosecutions commenced, the number of 

cases of State and local prosecutions where the DOJ assisted, the 

number of cases that have been closed, and the number of open 

pending cases. The report shall be made not later than 6 months 

after the enactment of the Act. 

Sec. 4. Supervisory Special Agent in the Civil Rights Unit of the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation. Section 4 requires the Attorney 

General to designate a Supervisory Special Agent in the Civil 

Rights Unit of the FBI to be responsible for investigating violations 

of criminal civil rights statutes that occurred on or before December 31, 1969 and resulted in death. The Supervisory Special Agent 

is authorized to coordinate investigations with State and local law 

enforcement agencies. 

Sec. 5. Grants to State and Local Law Enforcement. Section 5 authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to State or local law 

enforcement agencies for expenses associated with their investigation and prosecution of unsolved civil rights crimes that occurred 

on or before December 31, 1969 and resulted in death. The provision authorizes $2 million to be appropriated for each fiscal year 

2008 through 2017 for the purpose of carrying out this section. 

Sec. 6. Authorization of Appropriations. This section authorizes 

$10 million for each of the fiscal year 2008 through 2017 for the 

purpose of investigating and prosecuting violations of criminal civil 

rights statutes that occurred on or before December 31, 1969 and 

resulted in death. In addition, section 6 authorizes the appropriation of $1.5 million for fiscal year 2008 and each subsequent fiscal 

year to the Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice to enable the Service to carry out the functions described in 

title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Sec. 7. Definitions. Section 7 of the bill defines ‘‘criminal civil 

rights statutes’’ for purposes of this Act. 

Sec. 8. Sunset. Section 8 provides that sections 2 through 6 of the 

Act expire at the end of fiscal year 2017. 

Sec. 9. Authority of Inspectors General. Section 9 amends the 

Crime Control Act of 1990 to add a new provision authorizing an 

Inspector General to designate staff to assist the National Center 

for Missing and Exploited Children by conducting reviews of inactive cases to develop recommendations for further investigations. In 


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addition, section 9 specifies that an Inspector General may not permit staff to engage in activities pursuant to this provision if such 

activities will interfere with the Inspector General’s duties under 

the Inspector General Act of 1978. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italics 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

TITLE XXXVII OF THE CRIME CONTROL ACT OF 1990 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 3703. AUTHORITY OF INSPECTORS GENERAL. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—An Inspector General appointed under section 

3 or 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) may 

authorize staff to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children— 

(1) by conducting reviews of inactive case files to develop 

recommendations for further investigations; and 

(2) by engaging in similar activities. 

(b) LIMITATIONS.— 

(1) PRIORITY.—An Inspector General may not permit staff 

to engage in activities described in subsection (a) if such activities will interfere with the duties of the Inspector General under 

the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). 

(2) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized to be 

appropriated to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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