Press Releases

Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Pete Olson (R-TX), the sponsor and co-lead of the Jabara-Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act responded with statements today after the annual release of FBI hate crime statistics showed that 2019 saw the highest level of hate crimes in over a decade and the highest number of hate-related killings on record.

“While the latest report shows that hate crimes continue to rise in the United States at an alarming pace, we are still missing much of the data on these trends because too many jurisdictions just aren’t tracking or reporting it,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “The House responded to this problem earlier in the year by passing the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, which would plug these holes and strengthen national cooperation among law enforcement to respond to bias crimes. If the Senate does not pass this bill in weeks to come, it should be a major priority for the 117^th Congress. The FBI is reaffirming what headlines have been telling us regularly: hate crimes are getting worse and more numerous. Congress must respond to this problem.”

“Hate crimes have no place in our society, yet sadly they are on the rise,” said Rep. Pete Olson. “Representing one of the most diverse districts in America, I see firsthand the impact these hate crimes have on our communities. This new FBI report sadly revealed that fewer law enforcement agencies provided data to the FBI in 2019 than in 2018. That’s why The NO HATE Act introduced by Rep. Don Byer and I, is a critically needed tool in the fight against hate crimes. It will improve how law enforcement agencies track and report crimes. As co-chair of the Victims’ Rights Caucus, I also focused on establishing hotlines to give victims the help and support they desperately need. I urge my colleagues to join our effort to pass it this year so we can better track and end hate crimes.”

The House passed the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act in May. The legislation, which was also introduced in the Senate by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), would help close gaps in existing hate crime reporting and strengthen the national response by:

• Supporting the speedy implementation of the latest crime reporting standard, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), including training on reporting hate crimes through NIBRS. NIBRS allows law enforcement agencies to record and report detailed information about crimes, including hate crimes, to the FBI. The FBI has promoted NIBRS in every law enforcement agency, but a lack of resources has stalled full implementation.
• Providing grants for the creation of state-run hate crime hotlines to record information about hate crimes and redirect victims and witnesses to law enforcement and local support services as appropriate, ensuring that hate crimes don’t go unreported and victims get the help they need.
• Supporting law enforcement activities or programs that prevent, address, or respond to hate crimes by providing grants to states and local law enforcement to adopt policies, practices, and programs that more effectively identify, investigate, report, and respond to hate crimes.
• Creating accountability by ensuring that law enforcement grantees report on their progress and requires the Attorney General to collect and analyze the information to better mitigate hate crimes.

Promoting understanding and healing by allowing for judges to require individuals convicted under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 to undergo a period of supervised release, to include community service or education centered on the community targeted by the crime.