Cosponsor Hate Crimes Bill in the House of Representatives

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Government Relations Action Alert

Cosponsor Hate Crimes Bill in the House of Representatives

August 18, 2003

Reason

Call your respective Representatives at the Capitol Switchboard (202-224- 3121), and urge them to become original cosponsors of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2003 (H.R.80), or to vote for any procedural motion that allows the bill to be considered.

Issue

Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Shelley Berkley (D-NV) reintroduced H.R. 80 on January 7, 2003. Currently, H.R. 80 has one House cosponsor, and is awaiting action by the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

Legislative Intent

The federal government is allowed to intervene in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes only if they occur on federal property, or if the victim was participating in one of six very specific activities, such as voting. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2003 would protect Americans from crimes based on their real or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. Specifically, this legislation would:

Expand current federal protections against hate crimes based on race, religion, and national origin;
Amend the criminal code to cover the crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability;
Authorize grants for state and local programs designed to combat and prevent hate crimes; and
Enable the federal government to assist state and local law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act would not provide �special rights� to any single group of people. Rather, it would ensure equal protection for all Americans. Although NASW contends that states should continue to play the primary role in the prosecution of hate crime violence, a federal law is essential to complement state statutes and to help states prosecute these complicated and expensive cases. The bill has strong bi-partisan support in the House, where a motion was passed in support of the measure in September 2000 by a vote of 232-192, with the backing of 41 Republicans. More than 175 organizations have endorsed the bill and continue to lobby for its passage.

Social Work Action

NASW is profoundly concerned about hate crimes in America. Recent statistics show an 11 percent increase in hate crimes throughout the nation. According to FBI statistics, 9,730 hate crimes were reported in the United States in 2001. These figures represent more than 26 hate crimes a day. The data is disturbing because many hate crimes go unreported and victims are reluctant to go to the police.

Hate crimes continue to plague and terrorize America�engendering a destructive effect on victims and entire communities across the nation. H.R.80 is vital legislation that unequivocally will address criminal atrocities predicated on racial intolerance and societal indifference, directed at people who are viewed as being outside of America�s mainstream. Please call, write, or e-mail your Representatives and encourage them to support H.R.80.