Washington (CNN) Two competitors for the 2020 Democratic nomination joined forces Thursday in a renewed effort to pass their anti-lynching legislation.

The Senate passed the legislation from California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott last year, but the House never took up the measure. On Thursday, the Senate again passed the bill via unanimous consent.

If signed into law, the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act would outline the specific killing of lynching, noting its violent and racist legacy, and add it to the federal list of hate crimes. As Booker's office noted Thursday, the vote followed more than a century of efforts to outlaw lynching that have failed to pass.

Following Thursday's unanimous vote in the Senate, the bill would then go to the House before President Donald Trump can sign it into law.

Thursday's vote was also notable also due to the nascent political rivalry between the bill's sponsors. Harris and Booker each recently announced they would seek their party's nomination next year to challenge Trump for the White House, and they showed no ill will during Thursday's vote, even wishing each other a "Happy Valentine's Day."

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