Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act

This Act may be cited as the “Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act”.

(a) Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board presumption of release.— It is the sense of Congress that all records of the Federal Government and State and local governments concerning civil rights cold cases should—

(1) carry a presumption of immediate disclosure; and

(2) eventually be disclosed to enable the public to become fully informed about the history surrounding the cases.

(b) Reimbursement for expenses incurred by State or local governments.— Section 3 of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115–426) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(i) Reimbursement for expenses incurred by State or local governments.— Upon request of a State or local government to the Review Board, the Review Board may reimburse the State or local government in full for any expense incurred by the State or local government for digitizing, photocopying, or mailing a civil rights cold case record for the purpose of transmitting such record to the Archivist for inclusion in the Collection.”.

(c) Transmission to Collection of civil rights cold case records in possession of State or local government.— Section 3(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115–426) is amended by striking “, except in the case of a State or local government”.

(d) No application of section 552(b)(6) to civil rights cold case records on or before January 1, 1990.— Section 9(a)(2) of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115–426) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting “, except in the case of information contained in a civil rights cold case record created on or before January 1, 1990.”.

Section 5(n)(1) of Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note; Public Law 115–426) is amended—

(1) by striking “7 years” and inserting “11 years”; and

(2) by striking “7-year period” and inserting “11-year period”.