S. 728

Referred to Committee

COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

Introduced 3/11/2021•117th Congress•Senate

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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

3/11/2021 • Senate

Summary

COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hate crimes and reports of COVID-19 hate crimes.

It defines COVID-19 hate crime as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race or ethnicity) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic.

The bill requires DOJ to issue guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies on how to establish online hate crime reporting processes in multiple languages and how to expand culturally competent education campaigns. Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance on best practices for mitigating racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduced in Senate • 3/11/2021

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Topics & Subjects

Policy Area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Cardiovascular and respiratory healthCrime preventionCrime victimsCriminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationCriminal justice information and recordsDepartment of JusticeDisability and health-based discriminationEmergency medical services and trauma careExecutive agency funding and structureFederal officialsForeign language and bilingual programsHate crimesInfectious and parasitic diseasesRacial and ethnic relationsReligionSex, gender, sexual orientation discriminationState and local government operations