COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

Bill: 116-hr-6721
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
Introduced: 2020-05-05
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Congressional oversight

Crime victims

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Criminal justice information and records

Department of Justice

Disability and health-based discrimination

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal officials

Hate crimes

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Racial and ethnic relations

Religion

Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>COVID</b>-<b>19 Hate Crimes Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hate crimes and reports of COVID-19 hate crimes.</p> <p>It defines <i>COVID-19 hate crime</i> as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic.</p> <p> The designated officer or employee must periodically report on the status of each case reviewed.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6721 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 5, 2020 Ms. Meng (for herself, Mr. Ted Lieu of California , Mr. Lowenthal , Mrs. Watson Coleman , Mr. Kennedy , Mr. Pascrell , Ms. Lee of California , Mrs. Hayes , Mr. Engel , Ms. Velázquez , Mr. Espaillat , Mr. Blumenauer , Ms. Ocasio-Cortez , Mr. Lynch , Mrs. Napolitano , Ms. Eshoo , Mr. Kilmer , Mr. Suozzi , Ms. Jackson Lee , and Mr. Cisneros ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act . 2. Review of COVID–19 hate crimes (a) In general Not later than 14 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice whose sole responsibility during the applicable period shall be to facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes and reports of any such crime to Federal, State, or local law enforcement agencies. (b) Report On the date that is 30 days after the designation under subsection (a), and every 30 days thereafter, the officer or employee shall submit to Congress a report on the status of each case reviewed under subsection (a), including— (1) any resources provided to complainants; (2) any actions taken to further the investigation of the incidents; and (3) data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, of the victim and location of occurrence. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term applicable period means the period beginning on the date on which the officer or employee is designated under subsection (a), and ending on the date that is one year after the date on which the emergency period described in subparagraph (B) of section 1135(g)(1) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1) ) ends, except that the Attorney General may extend such period as appropriate. (2) The term COVID–19 hate crime means a crime of violence (as such term is defined under title 18, United States Code) that is motivated by— (A) the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability of any person; and (B) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID–19 of any person because of the characteristic described in subparagraph (A).