I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3506 
To establish an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division of 
the Department of Justice. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2005 
Mr. FILNER (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To establish an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights 
Division of the Department of Justice. 
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 ‘‘Unsolved Civil Rights 
Crime Act’’. 
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 in-
volved. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CHIEF.—The term ‘‘Chief’’ means the Chief 
of the Section. 
(2) CRIMINAL CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES.—The 
term ‘‘criminal civil rights statutes’’ means— 
(A) section 241 of title 18, United States 
Code (relating to conspiracy against rights); 
(B) section 242 of title 18, United States 
Code (relating to deprivation of rights under 
color of law); 
(C) section 245 of title 18, United States 
Code (relating to federally protected activities); 
(D) sections 1581 and 1584 of title 18, 
United States Code (relating to involuntary ser-
vitude and peonage); 
(E) section 901 of the Fair Housing Act 
(42 U.S.C. 3631); and
(F) any other Federal law that— 
(i) was in effect on or before Decem-
ber 31, 1969; and 
(ii) the Criminal Section of the Civil 
Rights Division of the Department of Jus-
tice enforced, prior to the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
(3) SECTION.—The term ‘‘Section’’ (except 
when used as part of the term ‘‘Criminal Section’’) 
means the Unsolved Crimes Section established 
under section 4. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF SECTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Civil 
Rights Division of the Department of Justice an Unsolved 
Crimes Section. The Section shall be headed by a Chief 
of the Section. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of Federal law, the Chief shall be respon-
sible for investigating and prosecuting violations of 
criminal civil rights statutes, in each case in which 
a complaint alleges that such a violation— 
(A) occurred not later than December 31, 
1969; and 
(B) resulted in a death.
(2) COORDINATION.—After investigating a com-
plaint under paragraph (1), if the Chief determines 
that an alleged practice that is a violation of a crimi-
nal civil rights statute occurred in a State, or polit-
ical subdivision of a State, that has a State or local 
law prohibiting the practice alleged and establishing 
or authorizing a State or local official to grant or 
seek relief from such practice or to institute criminal 
proceedings with respect to the practice on receiving 
notice of the practice, the Chief shall consult with 
the State or local official regarding the appropriate 
venue for the case involved. 
(3) REFERRAL.—After investigating a com-
plaint under paragraph (1), the Chief shall refer the 
complaint to the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights 
Division, if the Chief determines that the subject of 
the complaint has violated a criminal civil rights 
statute in the case involved but the violation does 
not meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) or 
(B) of paragraph (1). 
(c) STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Chief shall annually conduct 
a study of the cases under the jurisdiction of the 
Chief and, in conducting the study, shall determine 
the cases—
(A) for which the Chief has sufficient evi-
dence to prosecute violations of criminal civil 
rights statutes; and 
(B) for which the Chief has insufficient 
evidence to prosecute those violations. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than September 30 of 
2006 and of each subsequent year, the Chief shall 
prepare and submit to Congress a report containing 
the results of the study conducted under paragraph 
(1), including a description of the cases described in 
paragraph (1)(B). 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 
for fiscal year 2006 and each subsequent fiscal year. 
(2) ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS.—Any funds 
appropriated under this subsection shall consist of 
additional appropriations for the activities described 
in this section, rather than funds made available 
through reductions in the appropriations authorized 
for other enforcement activities of the Department 
of Justice. 
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