S. 2854: Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-04-26 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · Latest: Became Public Law No: 114-325.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-04-26 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 114-325. (final step reached)
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on December 7, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.) 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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), John Cornyn (R-TX), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2854.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2854 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114