Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016
Public Law 114-325 · S. 2854 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 16, 2016 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Sponsor: Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
Cosponsors (16): Sen. Claire McCaskill, Sen. Patrick Leahy,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016
(Sec. 2) This bill reauthorizes the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 (Emmett Till Act) and expands the responsibilities of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to include the investigation and prosecution of criminal civil rights statutes violations that occurred before 1980 and resulted in a death. (Currently, Emmett Till Act investigations are limited to violations that occurred before 1970.)
The bill expresses the sense of Congress that all authorities with jurisdiction should: (1) meet regularly with civil rights organizations, institutions of higher education, and DOJ-designated entities to coordinate information sharing and discuss the status of DOJ's Emmett Till Act work; (2) support the full accounting of all victims whose deaths or disappearances were the result of racially motivated crimes; (3) hold accountable under federal and state law individuals who were perpetrators of, or accomplices in, unsolved civil rights murders and disappearances; (4) keep families regularly informed about the status of the investigations; and (5) expeditiously comply with Freedom of Information Act requests and develop a singular, publicly accessible repository of these disclosed documents.
In investigating a complaint, DOJ may coordinate activities with entities that DOJ determines to be appropriate.
DOJ may reopen and review cases closed without an in-person investigation conducted by DOJ or the FBI.
DOJ must hold meetings with the Civil Rights Division, the FBI, the Community Relations Service, civil rights organizations, institutions of higher education, DOJ-designated entities, and state and local law enforcement to discuss the status of its Emmett Till Act work.
In an annual report to Congress, DOJ must indicate:
• the number of cases referred by a civil rights organization, an institution of higher education, or a state or local law enforcement agency;
• the number of such cases that resulted in federal charges;
• the date any such charges were filed;
• whether DOJ has declined to prosecute or participate in an investigation of a referred case;
• the outreach, collaboration, and support for investigations and prosecutions of violations of criminal civil rights statutes, including murders and disappearances; and
• any activity on reopened cases.
The Community Relations Service must provide technical assistance by bringing together law enforcement agencies and communities to address tensions raised by civil rights era crimes.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee; Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 5067Identical bill
Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.
- Dec 16, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-325.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 14, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 12, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 10, 2016Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 2854 by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 2854 by Voice Vote.
- Dec 8, 2016FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Dec 7, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2854.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 27, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Jul 18, 2016FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Jul 15, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 14, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Apr 26, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4975SenateSen. Richard BurrR-NC· offered Jul 14, 2016Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Jul 14, 2016: Amendment SA 4975 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.