I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8466 
To provide for a system for reviewing the case files of cold case murders 
at the instance of certain persons, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 
Mr. SWALWELL of California (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To provide for a system for reviewing the case files of cold 
case murders at the instance of certain persons, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Homicide Victims’ 
Families’ Rights Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. CASE FILE REVIEW. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An applicable agency shall review 
the case file regarding a cold case murder upon written 
application by a designated person to determine if a full 
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reinvestigation would result in probative investigative 
leads. 
(b) REVIEW.—The case file review shall include— 
(1) an analysis of what investigative steps or 
follow-up steps may have been missed in the initial 
investigation; 
(2) an assessment of whether witnesses should 
be interviewed or reinterviewed; 
(3) an examination of physical evidence to see 
if all appropriate forensic testing and analysis was 
performed in the first instance or if additional test-
ing might produce information relevant to the inves-
tigation; and 
(4) a modernization of the file to bring it up to 
current investigative standards to the extent it would 
help develop probative leads. 
(c) REVIEWER.—The person or persons doing the re-
view required by subsection (a) shall not have previously 
investigated the murder at issue. 
(d) ACKNOWLEDGMENT.—The applicable agency 
shall confirm in writing receipt of the request provided for 
under subsection (a). 
(e) PROHIBITION ON MULTIPLE CONCURRENT RE-
VIEWS.—Only one case review shall be undertaken at any 
one time with respect to the same cold case murder victim. 
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(f) TIME LIMIT.—No later than six months after the 
receipt of the written application submitted pursuant to 
subsection (a), the applicable agency shall conclude its 
case file review and reach a conclusion about whether or 
not a full reinvestigation under section 5 is warranted. 
(g) EXTENSIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The applicable agency may 
extend the limit in subsection (f) for periods of time 
not to exceed six months if said agency makes a 
finding that the number of case files to be reviewed 
make it impracticable to comply with said limit with-
out unreasonably taking resources from other law 
enforcement activities. 
(2) ACTIONS
SUBSEQUENT
TO
WAIVER.—For 
cases for which the time limit in subsection (f) is ex-
tended, the applicable agency shall provide notice 
and an explanation of its reasoning to the des-
ignated person who filed the written application pur-
suant to this section. 
SEC. 3. APPLICATION. 
Each agency shall develop a written application to be 
used for designated persons to request a case file review 
under section 2. 
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