Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

Bill: 110-s-535
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2007-02-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil rights enforcement
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conspiracy
Criminal investigation
Department of Justice
Evidence (Law)
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Federal law enforcement officers
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Housing and Community Development
Housing discrimination
Inspectors general
Kidnapping
Missing children
Murder
Police-community relations
Prosecution
Prostitution
Relocation
Sex crimes
Sex-oriented businesses
Slavery
Sunset legislation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: 
Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act - Establishes an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Makes the Chief of the Section (Chief) and the Chief Investigator of the Office responsible for investigating violations of criminal civil rights statutes in which the alleged violation occurred before January 1, 1970 and resulted in death.
 
Requires: (1) consultation with state or local officials regarding venue when there has been a violation of a criminal civil rights statute that is also a violation of a state or local law; and (2) referral to the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division if the subject of the complaint has violated a criminal civil rights statute but the violation does not meet the requirements for the Unsolved Crimes Section.
 
Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to authorize staff of an Inspector General to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by conducting reviews of inactive case files to develop recommendations for further investigations and engaging in similar activities.

action_date: 2007-06-20
text: 
Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act - Directs the Attorney General to designate a Deputy Chief in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Makes the Deputy Chief responsible for investigating and prosecuting violations of criminal civil rights statutes in which the alleged violation occurred before January 1, 1970 and resulted in death.
 
(Sec. 4) Directs the Attorney General to designate a Supervisory Special Agent in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the Department of Justice to investigate violations of criminal civil rights statutes that occurred before January 1, 1970 and resulted in a death.
 
(Sec. 5) Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to state or local law enforcement agencies for the investigation and prosecution of violations of state or local laws that are similar to the federal criminal civil rights statutes. Authorizes appropriations.
 
(Sec. 6) Authorizes appropriations.
 
(Sec. 8) Terminates the effectiveness of the above provisions at the end of FY2017.
 
(Sec. 9) Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to authorize staff of an Inspector General to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by conducting reviews of inactive case files to develop recommendations for further investigations and engaging in similar activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-06-22
text: By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 110-88.
action_date: 2007-06-22
text: By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 110-88.
action_date: 2007-06-20
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 211.
action_date: 2007-06-20
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
action_date: 2007-06-20
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
action_date: 2007-06-14
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1788-1789)
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1788)
action_date: 2007-02-08
text: Introduced in Senate