Sens. Cruz, Ossoff Introduce Bill to Extend Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board Term

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Judiciary Committee, and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) introduced The Civil Rights Cold Cases Records Collection Reauthorization Act. This bill would extend the term of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board by four years. The board is tasked with investigating criminal investigations from the Civil Rights Era, led by a panel of private citizens appointed by the President.

Sen. Cruz 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. Ossoff said, “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.”

Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.-12), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-01), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.-17).

Read the full text of the bill here.

BACKGROUND

In 2019, Sen. Cruz and former Democrat Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama wrote and passed into law a bill, requiring federal agencies to turn over any remaining cold case records to the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, established by the National Archives and Records Administration, to help shed light on these unsolved cases.

In 2022, Sens. Cruz and Ossoff wrote and passed into law the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act of 2022, which extended the board.

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