This bill would amend federal law to make it easier for federal law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute cases of racial and religious violence, and would permit federal prosecution of violence motivated by prejudice against the victim's sexual orientation, gender, or disability. Identical legislation will be introduced simultaneously in both Houses.
Hate crimes are uniquely destructive and divisive.
They injure not only the immediate victim, but the whole community and sometimes the entire nation. The brutal slayings last year of James Byrd, Jr. in Texas and Matthew Shepard in Wyoming shocked the conscience of the country, and so has the recent murder of Billy Jack Gaither in Alabama. Current law does not permit federal involvement in cases involving crimes motivated by bias against the victim's sexual orientation, gender, or disability. It also erects unduly rigid jurisdictional hurdles to federal investigation and prosecution of racial, religious, and ethnic violence. Our bill would remove these hurdles and add certain types of violence motivated by prejudice against the victim's sexual orientation, gender or disability to the list of criminal acts which permit federal intervention.