Kamisha’s Law

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Johnson of South Dakota, would get rid of the time limits for charging people with certain federal crimes. These time limits, known as 'statutes of limitations,' usually prevent the government from starting a legal case if too many years have passed since the crime happened.
• The proposal specifically targets federal crimes like second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and attempted manslaughter. If this becomes law, prosecutors could bring charges for these crimes at any time, no matter how many decades have passed since the event.
• The goal of this change is to ensure that people who commit serious violent acts can still face justice if new evidence or technology, like DNA testing, helps solve a case years later. It treats these crimes more like first-degree murder, which already has no time limit for prosecution.
• This law would primarily affect federal investigations, such as crimes committed on federal land or against federal employees. It is intended to help families of victims find closure in 'cold cases' that have remained unsolved for a long time.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.