Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021
Latest action · Aug 3, 2022 Became Public Law No: 117-164.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 19, 2021
- Passed HouseMar 29, 2022
- Passed SenateJul 25, 2022
- To the PresidentAug 2, 2022
- Became lawAug 3, 2022Public Law 117-164
Summary
Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021
This bill establishes a framework for immediate family members of a victim of murder under federal law to request a review of the victim's case file if the murder was committed more than three years prior, the murder was investigated by a federal law enforcement entity, all probative investigative leads have been exhausted, and no likely perpetrator has been identified.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 88 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed406–20 | Mar 29, 2022 |
Cosponsors 17
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 19, 2021 to Mar 28, 2022; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Original | May 19, 2021 |
| D-CA | Anna G. Eshoo | Jul 22, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Ted Lieu | Jul 22, 2021 | |
| D-TX | Veronica Escobar | Jul 22, 2021 | |
| D-MA | Ayanna Pressley | Jul 30, 2021 | |
| D-AZ | Greg Stanton | Jul 30, 2021 | |
| D-AZ | Ruben Gallego | Jul 30, 2021 | |
| D-AL | Terri A. Sewell | Jul 30, 2021 | |
| D-FL | Val Butler Demings | Jul 30, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Jim Costa | Sep 10, 2021 | |
| D-NC | Deborah K. Ross | Oct 8, 2021 | |
| D-NJ | Mikie Sherrill | Oct 8, 2021 | |
| D-TX | Sylvia R. Garcia | Oct 8, 2021 | |
| D-CA | J. Luis Correa | Dec 7, 2021 | |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Dec 7, 2021 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred May 19, 2021Markup Dec 8, 2021Reported Mar 28, 2022 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Nov 9, 2021Discharged Dec 8, 2021 | |
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Mar 30, 2022Discharged Jul 25, 2022 |
Actions 23
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 3, 2022Signed by President.
- Aug 3, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-164.
- Aug 2, 2022Presented to President.
- Jul 26, 2022Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 25, 2022Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S3627 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY | Jul 25, 2022 |
| House | Recorded votes H3952enactLists H3953Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 3359, Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act | — | Mar 29, 2022 |
| House | Debate and remarks H3875–H3880Text printed H3875 | Cliff Bentz R-OR, David N. Cicilline D-RI, Eric Swalwell D-CA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX | Mar 28, 2022 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 87, May 19, 2021, page H2613.
CRS reports 2
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 2
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R44065 | Health Insurance Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans: Overview and Policy Updates | Report | May 6, 2025 |
| IN12156 | The Federal Role in Addressing the Adderall Drug Shortage Archived | Insight | May 4, 2023 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 4549 | Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2022 | Related bill | Jul 19, 2022 |
Titles 8
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for a system for reviewing the case files of cold case murders at the instance of certain persons, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act of 2021
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Congressional oversight
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Crime victims
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal justice information and records
- Employment and training programs
- Evidence and witnesses
- Family relationships
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government information and archives
- Law enforcement administration and funding
- Violent crime
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Mar 30, 2022Referred in Senate
- Mar 29, 2022Engrossed in House
- Mar 28, 2022Reported in House
- May 19, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
