The Senate has unanimously approved a bill sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) to extend the term of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board. The legislation, known as the Civil Rights Cold Cases Records Collection Reauthorization Act, now moves to the House for consideration.
Senator Cruz stated, “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 am thankful to my colleagues in the Senate for passing this important bipartisan measure, and I call on my colleagues in the House to move quickly to pass this bill so the review board can continue its work.”
Senator Ossoff added, “We must continue working for justice for these victims, for these survivors, for these families, especially the families of those who were killed, and continue our work to safeguard civil and human rights in the United States.”
The proposed legislation would add four years to the current term of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board. This board investigates criminal cases from the Civil Rights Era and is led by private citizens appointed by the President.
In previous legislative efforts related to civil rights cold cases, Senators Cruz and Ossoff passed into law in 2022 an act that extended support for such investigations. Additionally, in 2019 Senator Cruz partnered with former Senator Doug Jones of Alabama on a law requiring federal agencies to release any remaining records related to unresolved civil rights cases. The National Archives and Records Administration oversees this review board.
Senator Ted Cruz has been re-elected multiple times in Texas Senate races. In 2024 he defeated Colin Allred with 53.1% of votes; in 2018 he won against Beto O'Rourke with 50.9%; and in 2012 he prevailed over Paul Sadler with 56.5%.
