[110th Congress Public Law 344]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[DOCID: f:publ344.110]
[[Page 3933]]
EMMETT TILL UNSOLVED CIVIL RIGHTS CRIME ACT OF 2007
[[Page 122 STAT. 3934]]
Public Law 110-344
110th Congress
An Act
To provide for the investigation of certain unsolved civil rights
crimes, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 7, 2008 - [H.R. 923]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Emmett Till
Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007.>>
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights
Crime Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> 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. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE CRIMINAL
SECTION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION.
(a) In General.-- <<NOTE: Designation.>> 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
[[Page 122 STAT. 3935]]
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 participate 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 containing
the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).
SEC. 4. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT IN
THE CIVIL RIGHTS UNIT OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF
INVESTIGATION.
(a) In General.-- <<NOTE: Designation.>> 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. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> 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. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> AUTHORIZATION OF
APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated, in
addition to any other amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated
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 statutes that occurred
not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted in a death. These funds
shall be allocated by the Attorney General
[[Page 122 STAT. 3936]]
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 investigation of violations of criminal
civil rights statutes, in cases described in section 4(b).
SEC. 7. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> 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. <<NOTE: 28 USC 509 note.>> 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. <<NOTE: 42 USC 5780a.>> 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 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
activities will interfere with the duties of the Inspector
General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
[[Page 122 STAT. 3937]]
``(2) Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section.''.
Approved October 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.
<all>