Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing bipartisan legislation to help secure justice for civil rights cold case victims and their families.
This week, Sens. Ossoff and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the bipartisanCivil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act to help secure justice for civil rights cold case victims and their families.
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act would strengthen and extend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board’s authority through 2033 to help ensure the public release of records related to Civil Rights cold cases dated 1940 through 1979 and help enable states and local authorities to release records in their possession.
In 2022, Sens. Ossoff and Cruz passed into law the bipartisan Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act of 2022, which extended the Review Board’s term through 2027. However, more time is needed to ensure the Review Board can continue its vital work.
“For too long, families of Civil Rights cold case victims have waited for answers and justice. Our bipartisan bill is an opportunity to pursue justice and truth on behalf of those who were killed. There’s no expiration date on justice. That’s why this effort must continue,” Sen. Ossoff said.
“Civil Rights cold case victims and their families deserve justice. Giving the review board more time to investigate these unsolved cases is essential to delivering long-overdue accountability. I urge my colleagues to move quickly to pass this bill so the review board can continue its work,” Sen. Cruz said.
The companion bill is being led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17).
“In the years since its creation, the Cold Case Records Review Board has made remarkable progress in shedding light on some of the darkest moments in our nation’s history,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “Working without partisan bias or ideological inclination, the Review Board has proven indispensable in providing clarity and closure for the victims’ families, and the communities roiled by these terrible events. Before we can finally turn the page on this dark chapter in American history, the Review Board must complete its work. This bipartisan bill with my colleagues across the aisle and across the Capitol will allow the Board to do just that. I strongly encourage leadership in both chambers to take up this legislation to once and for all lay these cases to rest.”
“As a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor, I’ve spent my career pursuing the truth and delivering justice. The families who lost loved ones to racial violence during the Civil Rights Era have waited far too long for answers. Reauthorizing the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board ensures that critical investigations are completed, the pursuit of justice continues, and that we honor our obligation to confront and correct historic wrongs,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick (PA-1).
“I’m proud to join Congresswoman Watson Coleman in reintroducing this bill. These cases represent a painful and important part of our nation’s history, and we have a responsibility to ensure they’re not forgotten. Extending the work of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board helps us continue the process of reviewing these records carefully and transparently. It’s about doing our part to support the pursuit of truth to right the wrongs of our past and move forward with historical clarity,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17).
Sen. Ossoff continues working to ensure civil and human rights are safeguarded.
In 2024, President Biden signed into law Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act, prison reform legislation to overhaul independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prison’s 122 facilities nationwide by mandating routine inspections of all facilities by the DOJ Inspector General and establishing a new Ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff.
Click here to read the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act.
Click here to find more about the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board’s continued work.
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