Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) have introduced a bill to make lynching a federal offense.

The Senate’s only black legislators introduced the bill on Friday, June 29, reports The Hill.

If passed, the law would make lynching, defined as "the willful act of murder by a collection of people assembled with the intention of committing an act of violence upon any person," punishable as a hate crime.

“Lynching is a dark, despicable part of our history, and we must acknowledge that, lest we repeat it,” Harris said in a statement.

According to Harris, Congress has tried and failed to pass 200 lynching laws over 100 years. The closest the Hill has come was a 2005 resolution apologizing to lynching victims.

“Notwithstanding the Senate’s apology and the heightened awareness and education about the nation’s legacy with lynching, it is wholly necessary and appropriate for the Congress to enact legislation, after 100 years of unsuccessful legislative efforts, finally to make lynching a federal hate crime,” reads the bill.

The bill is sponsored by Anti-Defamation League, the Equal Justice Initiative and the NAACP. So far, Scott is the only Republican to support the bill.

"This measure is certainly well past due, and I am glad to be able to join in efforts that will underscore the severity of this crime,” Scott said via a statement. “This piece of legislation sends a message that together, as a nation, we condemn the actions of those that try to divide us with violence and hate.”

When asked if he would vote in favor of the legislation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was shocked it had not been done already.

"Gosh, I thought we did that many years ago… Honestly, I hadn't thought about it. I thought that was done back during LBJ or some period like that. But if we need one at the federal level, I certainly would support it," he said.