S. 909 would provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes.
Detailed Summary
Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act - Adopts the definition of "hate crime" as set forth in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (i.e., a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim or, in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person).
Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) provide state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies with technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the investigation or prosecution of violent crimes and hate crimes; and (2) award grants to assist such agencies with the extraordinary expenses associated with the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.
Authorizes the Office of Justice Programs to award grants to state, local, or tribal programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles.
Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Justice (DOJ), including the Community Relations Service, for FY2010-FY2012 to prevent and respond to hate crime acts.
Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person.
Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to expand data collection and reporting requirements under such Act to include: (1) crimes manifesting prejudice based on gender and gender identity; and (2) hate crimes committed by and against juveniles.
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the exercise of constitutionally-protected free speech.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 4/28/2009: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Points in Favor
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Points Against
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Visitor Comments
Reverend Josh Taylor
May 10, 2009, 5:26pm (report abuse)Dear God. Come Quickly, Lord Jesus.
Oh, well. I'm not afraid to die anyway. The gov't can kill the body, but they can't kill the soul. In the end, Jesus will judge and wipe out the universe and recreate it as a spiritual universe.
Jared
July 8, 2009, 2:11am (report abuse)Everyone should contact their representatives in Washington and urge them to support this legislation. It is valuable to everyone that it be passed. The people of this country are promised equal rights and freedoms, this bill finally puts us one step closer to realizing this.
To those who say it will limit free speech and religious exercise, please read the legislation one more time. " (4) FREE EXPRESSION- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to allow prosecution based solely upon an individual's expression of racial, religious, political, or other beliefs or solely upon an individual's membership in a group advocating or espousing such beliefs."
S
July 16, 2009, 7:28pm (report abuse)Greetings,
Here is a very interesting and sobering Liberty Counsel analysis of "The Impact of Hate Crimes Laws upon Religious Organizations and Clergy"
http://www.lc.org/media/9980/attachments/hatecrimes.pdf
Here is a shorter special report on "The 'Hate Crimes' Bill
H.R. 1913, the ‘Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009'"
http://lc.org/media/9980/attachments/memo_hatecrimes_akers050509.pdf
Stevie
July 21, 2009, 1:45pm (report abuse)Amazing! How everyone uses the Bible to justify hate? Violence?
No one wants to take away your right to preach what you consider condemnation of a group of people. What they are trying to take away is your right to physically assault someone. Why people get the two confused, I will never know.