Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007
PL 110-344 (H.R.923), enacted 10/07/2008

122 STAT. 3934 
PUBLIC LAW 110–344—OCT. 7, 2008 
Public Law 110–344 
110th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for the investigation of certain unsolved civil rights crimes, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 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 
Designation. 
28 USC 509 note. 
28 USC 509 note. 
28 USC 509 note. 
Emmett Till 
Unsolved 
Civil Rights 
Crime 
Act of 2007. 
Oct. 7, 2008 
[H.R. 923] 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:51 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00003
Frm 01020
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT3\69194PT3.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT3
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW
122 STAT. 3935 
PUBLIC LAW 110–344—OCT. 7, 2008 
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 partici-
pate 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 con-
taining 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 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 appropriated $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 appro-
priated 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 stat-
utes that occurred not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted 
in a death. These funds shall be allocated by the Attorney General 
28 USC 509 note. 
28 USC 509 note. 
Designation. 
28 USC 509 note. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:51 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00003
Frm 01021
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT3\69194PT3.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT3
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW
122 STAT. 3936 
PUBLIC LAW 110–344—OCT. 7, 2008 
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 inves-
tigation 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 sec-
tion 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 activi-
ties will interfere with the duties of the Inspector General 
under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.). 
42 USC 5780a. 
28 USC 509 note. 
28 USC 509 note. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:51 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00003
Frm 01022
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT3\69194PT3.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT3
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW
122 STAT. 3937 
PUBLIC LAW 110–344—OCT. 7, 2008 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 923 (S. 535): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–200 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 110–88 accompanying S. 535 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 153 (2007): June 20, considered and passed House. 
Vol. 154 (2008): Sept. 24, considered and passed Senate. 
‘‘(2) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section.’’. 
Approved October 7, 2008. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:51 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00003
Frm 01023
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6580
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT3\69194PT3.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT3
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW