{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskills-bipartisan-plan-targeting-unsolved-racially-motivated-murders-passes-congress-heads-to-presidents-desk", "McCaskill’s Bipartisan Plan Targeting Unsolved, Racially-Motivated Murders Passes Congress, Heads to President’s Desk", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill\u2019s Bipartisan Plan Targeting Unsolved, Racially-Motivated Murders Passes Congress, Heads to President\u2019s Desk \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Renewal of Emmett Till Act allows law enforcement to continue investigations seeking justice \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate has approved bipartisan legislation led by Senator Claire McCaskill that will renew the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, continuing Department of Justice and FBI efforts to investigate and prosecute unsolved racially-motivated murders\u2014and the bill now heads to the President\u2019s desk where it is expected to be signed into law. \u00a0\r\n\u201cThis legislation brings justice and closure to the families and communities affected by the heinous acts of violence and hatred that are a stain on our nation\u2019s history,\u201d said McCaskill, a former Jackson County Prosecutor who led the bipartisan efforts with Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina. \u201cThe bill will help us continue the critical work of better investigating and solving these crimes, no matter how long ago they occurred, and I\u2019m thrilled we\u2019ve finally been able to carry it across the finish line.\u201d\r\nThe bill encourages the Department of Justice and FBI to partner with advocacy organizations, universities, and other entities that have been gathering evidence on cold cases from the 1960s and beyond. The bill also recognizes the potential for prosecutions at the state level, and seeks to facilitate collaboration between state and federal law enforcement.\r\nThe legislation, which first passed the Senate this summer following McCaskill\u2019s efforts, recently passed the U.S. House with several changes, necessitating passage again through the Senate before the end of the year. The President is expected to sign the bill into law.\r\nMcCaskill, a strong supporter of efforts to investigate racially-motivated crimes, helped lead the legislation\u2019s original passage in 2008. The bill\u2019s provisions will expire in 2017 if it is not renewed, and she worked closely with civil rights-advocate Alvin Sykes of Kansas City to advance the renewal.\r\nThe 2008 Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act provided a means to investigate and prosecute racially-motivated murders that occurred on or before December 31, 1969. The legislation established offices within the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate and prosecute murders from the civil rights era, and authorized $10 million annually for investigations and $2 million for grants to states in order to support this work. The bill\u2019s renewal will continue the allocation and provides for the investigation of all racially-motivated murders, despite date of occurrence.\r\nDemocratic Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis of Georgia introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskills-bipartisan-plan-targeting-unsolved-racially-motivated-murders-passes-congress-heads-to-presidents-desk"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.392298076301813, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}