Education Against Hate Crimes Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2539 | Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. (D-NY)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Education Against Hate Crimes Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive grants to states, local educational agencies, and nonprofit organizations to conduct hate crime prevention and prejudice reduction education for secondary school students and students in middle grades. It also requires ED, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, to develop relevant curriculum requirements.

To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants for hate crime 
 prevention and prejudice reduction education, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Education Against Hate Crimes Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR HATE CRIME PREVENTION AND PREJUDICE REDUCTION 
              EDUCATION.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--Beginning not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall award 
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to assist such 
entities in conducting hate crime prevention and prejudice reduction 
education for secondary school students and students in middle grades.
    (b) Curriculum Requirements.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Education, in 
consultation with Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney 
General, shall develop requirements for the curriculum of the hate 
crime prevention and prejudice reduction education conducted with a 
grant under this section.
    (c) Grant Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under this section 
shall not exceed $1,500,000 for any fiscal year.
    (d) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to 
        the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that will 
        provide hate crime prevention and prejudice reduction education 
        in geographic areas where there is disproportionate hate crime 
        activity relative to the total population of the area. The 
        Secretary may consult with the Attorney General to identify 
        eligible entities that meet the requirements for priority 
        consideration under this paragraph.
    (e) Reporting Requirements.--On an annual basis in each year for 
which an eligible entity receives a grant under this section, the 
entity shall submit to the Secretary a report that includes--
            (1) a description of how the grant was used;
            (2) the number of secondary school students who enrolled in 
        and completed a program of hate crime prevention and prejudice 
        reduction education;
            (3) the number of teachers who provided instruction to 
        students in hate crime prevention and prejudice reduction 
        education; and
            (4) a description of the strategies and best practices 
        employed to achieve the objectives under the grant.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Hate crime and prejudice reduction education.--The term 
        ``hate crime and prejudice reduction education'' means 
        culturally relevant education (available in multiple languages, 
        consistent with census data and demographics of the area which 
        the education will be provided) to prevent, address, deter, and 
        dissuade crimes against persons or an individual's property due 
        to the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national 
        origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, age, or 
        sexual orientation of any person.
            (2) Eligibile entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        State, a local educational agency, or a nonprofit organization.
            (3) ESEA terms.--The terms ``local educational agency'', 
        ``middle grades'', ``secondary school'', and ``Secretary'' have 
        the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal years 2022 through 2032.
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