Since 2015, the United States has seen an increase in violent crimes motivated by bias. As noted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s report, from November 9, 2016 to March 31, 2017, 1,893 hate crimes were reported throughout the United States. As these incidents continue to rise in number, members of Congress have submitted various bills to address the threat at all levels. From expanding and improving mechanisms of reporting at local, state, and federal levels, to amending existing laws to protect religiously affiliated property, to addressing the concerns of hate crimes on campus, there has been a concerted effort to improve protections and reporting of hate crimes.
Emgage Action supports the passage of the NO HATE Act, aimed at improving the means of hate crime reporting at state and federal levels. This legislation would authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue grants to states and local governments to assist in implementing the National Incident-Based Reporting System, including training employees to identify hate crimes.