Bills › 89th General Assembly
Relating to hate crimes involving the violation of individual rights
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 2, 2022
- Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committee
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: Senate committee
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2022 session adjourned on May 24, 2022, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Courts would have a new list of factors to look at when deciding if a crime counts as a hate crime. Judges could consider things like whether the offender used biased comments, left hate symbols behind, or if the crime happened on a specific holiday. The bill also provides a definition for what counts as a hate group.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to hate crimes involving the violation of individual rights.8(3) and (4), when committed against a person or a person’s property because of the person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability, or the person’s association with a person of a certain race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability. The bill adds a nonexclusive list of factors which a court may consider in determining whether the public offense meets the definition of a hate crime to include whether the race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability of the victim differs from that of the offender; whether the victim was engaged in activities promoting a group with whom the victim is associated; whether the offense coincided with a holiday or date of particular significance to a group with whom the victim is associated; whether bias-related comments, written statements, or gestures were made by the offender; whether bias-related drawings, markings, symbols, or graffiti were left at the location of the public offense; whether objects or items that represent the work of an organized hate group were left at the location of the public offense; whether the offender has previously been involved in similar offenses or is a member of, or associates with members of, an organized hate group; and whether the victim was in or near an area or place commonly associated with or frequented by members of a particular race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability; and whether no clear economic motive or other legitimate purpose exists to explain the public offense against the victim. The bill defines “hate group” to mean an organization or collection of individuals that, based on its official statements or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its activities, maintains beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.