{"id":27552,"date":"2025-05-02T09:57:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T13:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/?post_type=press-releases&p=27552"},"modified":"2025-05-07T13:07:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T17:07:09","slug":"sens-ossoff-cruz-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-solve-civil-rights-cold-cases","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/press-releases\/sens-ossoff-cruz-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-solve-civil-rights-cold-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"Sens. Ossoff, Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Solve Civil Rights Cold Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington, D.C. <\/strong>\u2014 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing bipartisan legislation to help secure justice for civil rights cold case victims and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, Sens. Ossoff and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the bipartisanCivil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act <\/em>to help secure justice for civil rights cold case victims and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act<\/em>\u00a0would strengthen and extend the\u00a0Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board<\/a>\u2019s authority through 2031 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Sens. Ossoff and Cruz passed into law<\/a> the bipartisan Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act of 2022, <\/em>which extended the Review Board\u2019s term through 2027. However, more time is needed to ensure the Review Board can continue its vital work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor 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\u2019s no expiration date on justice. That\u2019s why this effort must continue,\u201d Sen. Ossoff said.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCivil 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,\u201d Sen. Cruz said.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 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\u2019s history,\u201d said Rep. Watson Coleman.<\/strong> \u201cWorking without partisan bias or ideological inclination, the Review Board has proven indispensable in providing clarity and closure for the victims\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor, I\u2019ve 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,\u201d said Rep. Fitzpatrick (PA-1).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud to join Congresswoman Watson Coleman in reintroducing this bill. These cases represent a painful and important part of our nation\u2019s history, and we have a responsibility to ensure they\u2019re 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\u2019s about doing our part to support the pursuit of truth to right the wrongs of our past and move forward with historical clarity,\u201d said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Ossoff continues working to ensure civil and human rights are safeguarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, President Biden signed into law<\/a> Sen. Ossoff\u2019s bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act<\/em>, prison reform legislation to overhaul independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prison\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here<\/a> to read the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here<\/a> to find more about the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board\u2019s continued work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

# # #<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington, D.C. \u2014 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\u00a0Civil Rights Cold […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27552","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/27552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/27552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27644,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/27552\/revisions\/27644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}