Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes Act

Bill: 116-s-3228
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2020-01-28
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Crime victims

Hate crimes
Latest action: action_date: 2020-01-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-01-28
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes Act</b></p> <p>This bill establishes a statutory legal standard for proving intent in a hate crime. </p> <p>A hate crime is a federal criminal offense committed because of the actual or perceived protected characteristic (e.g., race) of the victim. This bill specifies that the <i>because of</i> standard (i.e., the legal standard for proving intent) requires proof that the actual or perceived protected characteristic of the victim is a substantial motivating factor in the offense.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3228 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 28, 2020 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Ms. Murkowski ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend section 249 of title 18, United States Code, relating to hate crimes, to clarify the motive requirement.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes Act . 2. Motive requirement for hate crimes Section 249(c) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following: (1) the term because of means that the actual or perceived protected characteristic of the victim was a substantial motivating factor in the offense; .