Serrano, Israel and Velázquez Introduce Hate Crimes Legislation

 

“Today we take a step toward guaranteeing that hate crimes do not go unreported and unpunished,” said Rep. Serrano. “Our bill will help ensure that all victims of hate crimes feel comfortable in reporting them, and will provide new resources to combat and respond to hate crimes in communities across the nation. These new tools will help make our communities safer, and will continue the fight against these atrocious crimes.”

According to a 2005 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 43% of hate crimes are actually reported to the police. The report cites a variety of reasons for the under-reporting of such crimes, but include language barriers, perceived futility, and the fear of discovery of immigration status. The national hotline proposal is designed to provide a safe, additional resource for those who do not feel comfortable reporting these crimes directly to the police.

Read the full text of the legislation here: http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2684: