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Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018

Public Law 115-426 · S. 3191 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 8, 2019 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Sponsor: Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL)

Cosponsors (3): Sen. Claire McCaskill,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 376 yea, 6 nay376–6
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018

This bill requires the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to: (1) establish a collection of civil rights cold case records; (2) prepare and publish the subject guidebook and index to the collection; and (3) establish criteria for transmitting copies of civil rights cold case records to NARA, to include required metadata.

All civil rights cold case records transmitted to NARA for disclosure to the public shall be included in the collection, available to the public for inspection and copying, and prioritized for digitization by NARA.

The bill requires redacted records or records for which public disclosure is postponed to be reviewed annually.

The bill enumerates grounds for which disclosure of records may be postponed, including causing damage to national security, invading personal privacy, or interfering with ongoing law enforcement proceedings.

The bill establishes the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board as an independent agency of impartial private citizens. The board shall consider and render decisions on determinations to seek postponement of disclosure of civil rights cold case records. With the exception of certain administrative records, records of the review board shall not be destroyed.

The review board may request the Department of Justice to petition any court in the United States or abroad to release information relevant to civil rights cold cases held under seal of court. A similar request may be made to a court in the United States for release of information held under an injunction of grand-jury secrecy.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 376 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

376 yea6 nay50 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(173)

Republicans who voted yea(203)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1189 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

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.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 1272Related bill

    Cold Case Record Collections Act of 2017

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Jan 8, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-426.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 27, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 21, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 376 - 6 (Roll no. 482).House roll call 482
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3191.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Walker moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Dec 19, 2018FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. Dec 18, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Dec 17, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  15. FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
  16. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  17. Dec 10, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 727.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-424.
  19. Sep 26, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  20. Jul 10, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4877-4878)
  21. 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.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4153SenateSen. Doug JonesD-AL· offered Dec 17, 2018Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 17, 2018: Amendment SA 4153 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.