HR3087Referred to Committee

Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2025-04-29
Introduced
20
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Bonnie Watson Coleman
Bonnie Watson Coleman
Democrat · NJ · Representative
Votes with party: 98.2% (549 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/W000822

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (20)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 36 - 4.

2026-05-20

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

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Plain-English Summary

This bill would extend and reauthorize a federal program that collects and preserves records related to unsolved civil rights murders and crimes from the civil rights era, helping investigators and researchers access historical documents that may shed light on these cases. The measure aims to ensure that government agencies continue funding efforts to locate, organize, and make available evidence and records that could assist in solving decades-old crimes against African Americans and other minorities. Families of victims and civil rights advocates would benefit from improved access to information about these historical injustices.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

Subjects

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 3087 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3087 To amend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 to strengthen the powers of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 29, 2025 Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 to strengthen the powers of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, 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 ``Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act''. SEC. 2. CLARIFYING THE AUTHORITIES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS COLD CASE REVIEW BOARD. (a) Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board Presumption of Release.--It is the sense of Congress that all records of the Federal Government and State and local governments concerning civil rights cold cases should-- (1) carry a presumption of immediate disclosure; and (2) eventually be disclosed to enable the public to become fully informed about the history surrounding the cases. (b) Reimbursement for Expenses Incurred by State or Local Governments.--Section 3 of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115-426) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(i) Reimbursement for Expenses Incurred by State or Local Governments.--Upon request of a State or local government to the Review Board, the Review Board may reimburse the State or local government in full for any expense incurred by the State or local government for digitizing, photocopying, or mailing a civil rights cold case record for the purpose of transmitting such record to the Archivist for inclusion in the Collection.''. (c) Transmission to Collection of Civil Rights Cold Case Records in Possession of State or Local Government.--Section 3(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115-426) is amended by striking ``, except in the case of a State or local government''. (d) No Application of Section 552(b)(6) to Civil Rights Cold Case Records on or Before January 1, 1990.--Section 9(a)(2) of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115-426) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting ``, except in the case of information contained in a civil rights cold case record created on or before January 1, 1990.''. SEC. 3. CIVIL RIGHTS COLD CASE RECORDS REVIEW BOARD EXTENSION OF TENURE. Section 5(n)(1) of Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115-426) is amended-- (1) by striking ``7 years'' and inserting ``11 years''; and (2) by striking ``7-year period'' and inserting ``11-year period''. <all>
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