34 USC 30507 - Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act

U.S Code last checked for updates: Apr 29, 2024

§ 30507.

Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act

(a)

Short title

(b)

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

The incidence of violence known as hate crimes, or crimes motivated by bias, poses a serious national problem.

(2)

According to data obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the incidence of such violence increased in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available.

(3)

In 1990, Congress enacted the Hate Crime Statistics Act (Public Law 101–275; 28 U.S.C. 534 note) 1

 See References in Text note below.

to provide the Federal Government, law enforcement agencies, and the public with data regarding the incidence of hate crime. The Hate Crime Statistics Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 2835) 1 have enabled Federal authorities to understand and, where appropriate, investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

(4)

A more complete understanding of the national problem posed by hate crime is in the public interest and supports the Federal interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence referenced in section 249(b)(1)(C) of title 18.

(5)

However, a complete understanding of the national problem posed by hate crimes is hindered by incomplete data from Federal, State, and local jurisdictions through the Uniform Crime Reports program authorized under section 534 of title 28 and administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(6)

Multiple factors contribute to the provision of inaccurate and incomplete data regarding the incidence of hate crime through the Uniform Crime Reports program. A significant contributing factor is the quality and quantity of training that State and local law enforcement agencies receive on the identification and reporting of suspected bias-motivated crimes.

(7)

The problem of crimes motivated by bias is sufficiently serious, widespread, and interstate in nature as to warrant Federal financial assistance to States and local jurisdictions.

(8)

Federal financial assistance with regard to certain violent crimes motivated by bias enables Federal, State, and local authorities to work together as partners in the investigation and prosecution of such crimes.

(c)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Hate crime

(2)

Priority agency

The term “priority agency” means—

(A)

a law enforcement agency of a unit of local government that serves a population of not less than 100,000, as computed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or

(B)

a law enforcement agency of a unit of local government that—

(i)

serves a population of not less than 50,000 and less than 100,000, as computed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

(ii)

has reported no hate crimes through the Uniform Crime Reports program in each of the 3 most recent calendar years for which such data is available.

(3)

State

(4)

Uniform Crime Reports

The term “Uniform Crime Reports” means the reports authorized under section 534 of title 28 and administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that compile nationwide criminal statistics for use—

(A)

in law enforcement administration, operation, and management; and

(B)

to assess the nature and type of crime in the United States.

(5)

Unit of local government

(d)

Reporting of hate crimes

(1)

Implementation grants

(A)

In general

(B)

Priority

(2)

Reporting

(A)

Compliance

(i)

In general

(ii)

Extensions; waiver

The Attorney General—

(I)

may provide a 120-day extension to a State or unit of local government that is making good faith efforts to comply with clause (i); and

(II)

shall waive the requirements of clause (i) if compliance with that subparagraph by a State or unit of local government would be unconstitutional under the constitution of the State or of the State in which the unit of local government is located, respectively.

(B)

Failure to comply

(e)

Grants for State-run hate crime hotlines

(1)

Grants authorized

(A)

In general

(B)

Grant period

(2)

Hotline requirements

A State shall ensure, with respect to a hotline funded by a grant under paragraph (1), that—

(A)

the hotline directs individuals to—

(i)

law enforcement if appropriate; and

(ii)

local support services;

(B)

any personally identifiable information that an individual provides to an agency of the State through the hotline is not directly or indirectly disclosed, without the consent of the individual, to—

(i)

any other agency of that State;

(ii)

any other State;

(iii)

the Federal Government; or

(iv)

any other person or entity;

(C)

the staff members who operate the hotline are trained to be knowledgeable about—

(i)

applicable Federal, State, and local hate crime laws; and

(ii)

local law enforcement resources and applicable local support services; and

(D)

the hotline is accessible to—

(i)

individuals with limited English proficiency, where appropriate; and

(ii)

individuals with disabilities.

(3)

Best practices

(f)

Information collection by States and units of local government

(1)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Covered agency

The term “covered agency” means—

(i)

a State law enforcement agency; and

(ii)

a priority agency.

(B)

Eligible entity

The term “eligible entity” means—

(i)

a State; or

(ii)

a unit of local government that has a priority agency.

(2)

Grants

(A)

In general

The Attorney General may make grants to eligible entities to assist covered agencies within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity in conducting law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs to prevent, address, or otherwise respond to hate crime, particularly as those activities or programs relate to reporting hate crimes through the Uniform Crime Reports program, including—

(i)

adopting a policy on identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;

(ii)

developing a standardized system of collecting, analyzing, and reporting the incidence of hate crime;

(iii)

establishing a unit specialized in identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;

(iv)

engaging in community relations functions related to hate crime prevention and education such as—

(I)

establishing a liaison with formal community-based organizations or leaders; and

(II)

conducting public meetings or educational forums on the impact of hate crimes, services available to hate crime victims, and the relevant Federal, State, and local laws pertaining to hate crimes; and

(v)

providing hate crime trainings for agency personnel.

(B)

Subgrants

(3)

Information required of States and units of local government

(A)

In general

For each fiscal year in which a State or unit of local government receives a grant or subgrant under paragraph (2), the State or unit of local government shall—

(i)

collect information from each law enforcement agency that receives funding from the grant or subgrant summarizing the law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs conducted by the agency to prevent, address, or otherwise respond to hate crime, particularly as those activities or programs relate to reporting hate crimes through the Uniform Crime Reports program; and

(ii)

submit to the Attorney General a report containing the information collected under clause (i).

(B)

Semiannual law enforcement agency report

(i)

In general

(ii)

Contents

In a report submitted under clause (i), a law enforcement agency shall, at a minimum, disclose—

(I)

whether the agency has adopted a policy on identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;

(II)

whether the agency has developed a standardized system of collecting, analyzing, and reporting the incidence of hate crime;

(III)

whether the agency has established a unit specialized in identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;

(IV)

whether the agency engages in community relations functions related to hate crime, such as—

(aa)

establishing a liaison with formal community-based organizations or leaders; and

(bb)

conducting public meetings or educational forums on the impact of hate crime, services available to hate crime victims, and the relevant Federal, State, and local laws pertaining to hate crime; and

(V)

the number of hate crime trainings for agency personnel, including the duration of the trainings, conducted by the agency during the reporting period.

(4)

Compliance and redirection of funds

(A)

In general

(B)

Extensions; waiver

The Attorney General—

(i)

may provide a 120-day extension to a State or unit of local government that is making good faith efforts to collect the information required under paragraph (3); and

(ii)

shall waive the requirements of paragraph (3) for a State or unit of local government if compliance with that subsection by the State or unit of local government would be unconstitutional under the constitution of the State or of the State in which the unit of local government is located, respectively.

(g)

Requirements of the Attorney General

(1)

Information collection and analysis; report

In order to improve the accuracy of data regarding the incidence of hate crime provided through the Uniform Crime Reports program, and promote a more complete understanding of the national problem posed by hate crime, the Attorney General shall—

(A)

collect and analyze the information provided by States and units of local government under subsection (f) for the purpose of developing policies related to the provision of accurate data obtained under the Hate Crime Statistics Act (Public Law 101–275; 28 U.S.C. 534 note) ¹ by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

(B)

for each calendar year beginning after May 20, 2021, publish and submit to Congress a report based on the information collected and analyzed under subparagraph (A).

(2)

Contents of report

A report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A)

a qualitative analysis of the relationship between—

(i)

the number of hate crimes reported by State law enforcement agencies or other law enforcement agencies that received funding from a grant or subgrant awarded under paragraph (2) through the Uniform Crime Reports program; and

(ii)

the nature and extent of law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs conducted by those agencies to prevent, address, or otherwise respond to hate crime; and

(B)

a quantitative analysis of the number of State law enforcement agencies and other law enforcement agencies that received funding from a grant or subgrant awarded under paragraph (2) that have—

(i)

adopted a policy on identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;

(ii)

developed a standardized system of collecting, analyzing, and reporting the incidence of hate crime;

(iii)

established a unit specialized in identifying, investigating, and reporting hate crimes;

(iv)

engaged in community relations functions related to hate crime, such as—

(I)

establishing a liaison with formal community-based organizations or leaders; and

(II)

conducting public meetings or educational forums on the impact of hate crime, services available to hate crime victims, and the relevant Federal, State, and local laws pertaining to hate crime; and

(v)

conducted hate crime trainings for agency personnel during the reporting period, including—

(I)

the total number of trainings conducted by each agency; and

(II)

the duration of the trainings described in subclause (I).

(h)

Omitted

(Pub. L. 117–13, § 5, May 20, 2021, 135 Stat. 266.)

cite as: 34 USC 30507