Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-1091
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2023-02-17
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Evidence and witnesses

Hate crimes

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2023-02-17
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-02-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong></strong><b>Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2023 </b></p> <p>This bill lowers the statutory burden of proof for showing intent with respect to a federal hate crime offense.</p> <p>Current law makes it unlawful to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to do so using a dangerous weapon, because of the actual or perceived protected characteristic (e.g., race) of a person. In 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that the<em> because of</em> standard requires proof that a person's actual or perceived protected characteristic was the sole motivating factor in the offense. </p> <p>This bill replaces the<em> because of </em>standard with a new standard. Specifically, willfully causing bodily injury, or attempting to do so using a dangerous weapon, is a hate crime offense if a person's actual or perceived protected characteristic was a contributory motivating factor in the offense.<br> </p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1091 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 17, 2023 Mr. Lieu (for himself, Mrs. McBath , Mr. Swalwell , Ms. Garcia of Texas , Mr. Panetta , Mr. Blumenauer , Mr. Ivey , Mrs. Hayes , Ms. Escobar , Mr. Castro of Texas , Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Ms. Chu , Ms. Williams of Georgia , Ms. Velázquez , Mr. Davis of Illinois , Ms. Meng , and Mr. Takano ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to clarify the causation element in the Federal hate crime statute, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2023 . 2. Clarification as to causation element in hate crimes Section 249(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)— (A) by striking because of and inserting if ; and (B) by inserting after origin of any person the following: was a contributory motivating factor for causing or attempting to cause such injury ; and (2) in paragraph (2)(A), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by striking because of and inserting if ; and (B) by inserting after disability of any person the following: was a contributory motivating factor for causing or attempting to cause such injury .