II 

Calendar No. 13 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 937 

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

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

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

Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. PADILLA, 

Ms. ROSEN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WARNER, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CORTEZ

MASTO, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. WARNOCK, 

Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. 

CARDIN, Mr. REED, and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following bill; which 

was read the first time 

MARCH 24, 2021 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 

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, 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 937 PCS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Crimes Act’’. 

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

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 day after the 

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

7 designate an officer or employee of the Department of 

8 Justice whose sole responsibility during the applicable pe9 riod shall be to facilitate the expedited review of COVID– 

10 19 hate crimes and reports of any such crime to Federal, 

11 State, or local law enforcement agencies. 

12 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) APPLICABLE PERIOD.—The term ‘‘applica14 ble period’’ means the period beginning on the date 

15 on which the officer or employee is designated under 

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

17 after the date on which the emergency period de18 scribed in subparagraph (B) of section 1135(g)(1) of 

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

20 ends, except that the Attorney General may extend 

21 such period as appropriate. 

22 (2) COVID–19 HATE CRIME.—The term 

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

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

25 States Code) that is motivated by— 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 937 PCS

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

2 age, color, religion, national origin, sexual ori3 entation, gender, gender identity, or disability 

4 of any person; and 

5 (B) the actual or perceived relationship to 

6 the spread of COVID–19 of any person because 

7 of the characteristic described in subparagraph 

8 (A). 

9 SEC. 3. GUIDANCE. 

10 (a) GUIDANCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN11 CIES.—The Attorney General shall issue guidance for 

12 State and local law enforcement agencies on how to— 

13 (1) establish online reporting of hate crimes or 

14 incidents, and to have online reporting available in 

15 multiple languages as determined by the Attorney 

16 General; and 

17 (2) expand culturally competent and linguis18 tically appropriate public education campaigns, and 

19 collection of data and public reporting of hate 

20 crimes. 

21 (b) GUIDANCE RELATING TO COVID–19 PAN22 DEMIC.—The Attorney General and the Secretary of 

23 Health and Human Services, in coordination with the 

24 COVID–19 Health Equity Task Force and community25 based organizations, shall issue guidance describing best 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 937 PCS

1 practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in 

2 describing the COVID–19 pandemic. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS

pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 13 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 937 

A BILL 

To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 

hate crimes, and for other purposes. 

MARCH 24, 2021 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS