I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
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 Inves-
tigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2007 
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia (for himself, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. SCOTT 
of Virginia, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. 
BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, 
Mr. FATTAH, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, 
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. WATT, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. CUMMINGS, 
Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. WATERS, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Georgia, Mr. CLAY, Ms. LEE, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. 
TOWNS, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, 
Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Ms. WATSON, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, 
Mr. WYNN, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. 
RUSH, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. CARSON, Mr. HONDA, Ms. 
NORTON, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BECERRA, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. WOOLSEY, 
Mr. NADLER, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. GUTIERREZ, and Ms. 
CASTOR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
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 
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Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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 ‘‘Emmett Till 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
INVESTIGATOR.—The term ‘‘Chief 
Investigator’’ means the Chief Investigator of the 
Unit. 
(2) CRIMINAL CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES.—The 
term ‘‘criminal civil rights statutes’’ means— 
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(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) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the 
Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office es-
tablished under section 5. 
(4) DEPUTY.—The term ‘‘Deputy’’ means the 
Deputy for the Unsolved Civil Rights Era Crimes 
Unit. 
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(5) UNIT.—The term ‘‘Unit’’ (except when used 
as part of the term ‘‘Criminal Section’’) means the 
Unsolved Civil Rights Era Crimes Unit established 
under section 4. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF SECTION IN CIVIL RIGHTS DI-
VISION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Crimi-
nal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department 
of Justice an Unsolved Civil Rights Era Crimes Unit. The 
Unit shall be headed by a Deputy for the Unsolved Civil 
Rights Era Crimes Unit. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of Federal law, and except as provided in 
section 5, the Deputy shall be responsible for inves-
tigating and prosecuting violations of criminal civil 
rights statutes, in cases 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.— 
(A) INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES.—In inves-
tigating a complaint under paragraph (1), the 
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but the violation does not meet the requirements of 
subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1). 
(c) STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Deputy shall annually con-
duct a study of the cases under the jurisdiction of 
the Deputy or under the jurisdiction of the Chief In-
vestigator and, in conducting the study, shall deter-
mine the cases— 
(A) for which the Deputy has sufficient 
evidence to prosecute violations of criminal civil 
rights statutes; and 
(B) for which the Deputy has insufficient 
evidence to prosecute those violations. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than September 30 of 
2007 and of each subsequent year, the Deputy 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). 
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE IN FEDERAL BUREAU 
OF INVESTIGATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Civil 
Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the 
Department of Justice an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime In-
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vestigative Office. The Office shall be headed by a Deputy 
Investigator. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In accordance with an 
agreement established between the Deputy Investi-
gator and the Deputy, the Deputy Investigator shall 
be responsible for investigating violations of criminal 
civil rights statutes, in cases described in section 
4(b). 
(2) COORDINATION.— 
(A) INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES.—In inves-
tigating a complaint under paragraph (1), the 
Deputy Investigator shall coordinate the inves-
tigative activities with State and local law en-
forcement officials. 
(B) REFERRAL.—After investigating a 
complaint under paragraph (1), the Deputy In-
vestigator shall— 
(i) determine whether the subject of 
the complaint has violated a criminal 
rights statute in the case involved; and 
(ii) refer the complaint to the Deputy, 
together with a report containing the de-
termination and the results of the inves-
tigation. 
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(C) RESOURCES.—The Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, in coordination with the Depart-
ment of Justice, Civil Rights Division, shall 
have discretion to re-allocate investigative per-
sonnel to jurisdictions to carry out the goals of 
this section. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act $10,000,000 for fiscal year 
2008 and each subsequent fiscal year through 2017. 
These funds shall be allocated by the Attorney General 
to the Unsolved Civil Rights Era Crime Unit of the De-
partment of Justice and the Civil Rights Unit of the Fed-
eral Bureau of Investigation in order to advance the pur-
poses set forth in this Act. 
(b) ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS.—Any funds ap-
propriated under this section shall consist of additional ap-
propriations for the activities described in this Act, rather 
than funds made available through reductions in the ap-
propriations authorized for other enforcement activities of 
the Department of Justice. 
(c) COMMUNITY RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE DE-
PARTMENT OF JUSTICE.—In addition to any amounts au-
thorized to be appropriated under title XI of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000h et seq.), there are 
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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 tech-
nical assistance by bringing together law enforcement 
agencies and communities in the investigation of violations 
of criminal civil rights statutes, in cases described in sec-
tion 4(b). 
SEC. 7. SUNSET. 
Sections 1 through 6 of this Act shall expire at the 
end of fiscal year 2017. 
SEC. 8. 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 investiga-
tions; and 
‘‘(2) by engaging in similar activities. 
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‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) PRIORITY.—An Inspector General may not 
permit staff to engage in activities described in sub-
section (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 au-
thorized to be appropriated to carry out this sec-
tion.’’. 
Æ 
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