AUGUSTA — Representatives in Washington are urging the federal government to provide funding to allow the state to create a cold case homicide squad.

Democratic Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree recently sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking for support for Maine’s application for a federal grant.

Republican Gov. Paul LePage signed a bill in April that which would create a four-person squad within the attorney general’s office dedicated to investigating unsolved homicides. But the measure is expected to cost more than $500,000 and the state says it needs help from the federal government to pay for it.

Officials say there are more than 100 cold cases in the state, some dating back decades.