Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
II
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 728
To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes, and for other
purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 11, 2021
Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER,
Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr.
MENENDEZ, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. PADILLA, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. VAN HOL-
LEN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. WARNER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
A BILL
To facilitate the expedited review of COVID–19 hate crimes,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Hate
4
Crimes Act’’.
5
SEC. 2. REVIEW OF COVID–19 HATE CRIMES.
6
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 14 days after the
7
date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall
8
VerDate Sep 11 2014
21:32 Apr 05, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S728.IS
S728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2
•S 728 IS
designate an officer or employee of the Department of
1
Justice whose sole responsibility during the applicable pe-
2
riod shall be to facilitate the expedited review of COVID–
3
19 hate crimes and reports of any such crime to Federal,
4
State, or local law enforcement agencies.
5
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
6
(1) APPLICABLE PERIOD.—The term ‘‘applica-
7
ble period’’ means the period beginning on the date
8
on which the officer or employee is designated under
9
subsection (a), and ending on the date that is 1 year
10
after the date on which the emergency period de-
11
scribed in subparagraph (B) of section 1135(g)(1) of
12
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1))
13
ends, except that the Attorney General may extend
14
such period as appropriate.
15
(2)
COVID–19
HATE
CRIME.—The
term
16
‘‘COVID–19 hate crime’’ means a crime of violence
17
(as such term is defined in section 16 of title 18,
18
United States Code) that is motivated by—
19
(A) the actual or perceived race, ethnicity,
20
age, color, religion, national origin, sexual ori-
21
entation, gender, gender identity, or disability
22
of any person; and
23
(B) the actual or perceived relationship to
24
the spread of COVID–19 of any person because
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
21:32 Apr 05, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S728.IS
S728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3
•S 728 IS
of the characteristic described in subparagraph
1
(A).
2
SEC. 3. GUIDANCE.
3
(a) GUIDANCE
FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN-
4
CIES.—The Attorney General shall issue guidance for
5
State and local law enforcement agencies on how to—
6
(1) establish online reporting of hate crimes or
7
incidents, and to have online reporting available in
8
multiple languages as determined by the Attorney
9
General; and
10
(2) expand culturally competent and linguis-
11
tically appropriate public education campaigns, and
12
collection of data and public reporting of hate
13
crimes.
14
(b) GUIDANCE
RELATING
TO
COVID–19 PAN-
15
DEMIC.—The Attorney General and the Secretary of
16
Health and Human Services, in coordination with the
17
COVID–19 Health Equity Task Force and community-
18
based organizations, shall issue guidance describing best
19
practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in
20
describing the COVID–19 pandemic.
21
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
21:32 Apr 05, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\S728.IS
S728
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS