II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 728 

To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 11, 2021 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. PADILLA, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. WARNER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary 

A BILL 

To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Hate 

5 Crimes Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REVIEW OF COVID–19 HATE CRIMES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 14 days after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall 


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1 designate an officer or employee of the Department of 

2 Justice whose sole responsibility during the applicable pe3 riod shall be to facilitate the expedited review of COVID– 

4 19 hate crimes and reports of any such crime to Federal, 

5 State, or local law enforcement agencies. 

6 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) APPLICABLE PERIOD.—The term ‘‘applica8 ble period’’ means the period beginning on the date 

9 on which the officer or employee is designated under 

10 subsection (a), and ending on the date that is 1 year 

11 after the date on which the emergency period de12 scribed in subparagraph (B) of section 1135(g)(1) of 

13 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)) 

14 ends, except that the Attorney General may extend 

15 such period as appropriate. 

16 (2) COVID–19 HATE CRIME.—The term 

17 ‘‘COVID–19 hate crime’’ means a crime of violence 

18 (as such term is defined in section 16 of title 18, 

19 United States Code) that is motivated by— 

20 (A) the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, 

21 age, color, religion, national origin, sexual ori22 entation, gender, gender identity, or disability 

23 of any person; and 

24 (B) the actual or perceived relationship to 

25 the spread of COVID–19 of any person because 


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1 of the characteristic described in subparagraph 

2 (A). 

3 SEC. 3. GUIDANCE. 

4 (a) GUIDANCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN5 CIES.—The Attorney General shall issue guidance for 

6 State and local law enforcement agencies on how to— 

7 (1) establish online reporting of hate crimes or 

8 incidents, and to have online reporting available in 

9 multiple languages as determined by the Attorney 

10 General; and 

11 (2) expand culturally competent and linguis12 tically appropriate public education campaigns, and 

13 collection of data and public reporting of hate 

14 crimes. 

15 (b) GUIDANCE RELATING TO COVID–19 PAN16 DEMIC.—The Attorney General and the Secretary of 

17 Health and Human Services, in coordination with the 

18 COVID–19 Health Equity Task Force and community19 based organizations, shall issue guidance describing best 

20 practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in 

21 describing the COVID–19 pandemic. 

Æ 


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