Government Relations Action Alert

Urge Your Members of Congress to Support the Local Law Enforcement Act!

(Formerly Known as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act)

ISSUE AT HAND

The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (S.625 / H.R.1343) was reintroduced on March 27, 2001. Formerly known as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, (S.625 / H.R.1343), despite overwhelming bipartisan support, did not become law. The bill’s principle sponsors are Representative Conyers (D-Mi.) and Senator Kennedy (D-Mass). Currently, there are 206 House and 51 Senate cosponsors.

ACTION NEEDED:

EMAIL, FAX or CALL your Senators at the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121), and urge them to bring the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (S.625) to a vote on the Senate floor.

Take Action Now!

BACKGROUND

Currently, the federal government is allowed to intervene in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes only if they occur on federal property, or if the victim was participating in one of six very specific activities, such as voting. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, as introduced by Senator Kennedy and Representative Conyers, would allow the federal government to assist local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, regardless of what the victim was doing when the crime occurred. (S.625 / H.R.1343) also would expand the definition of a hate crime to include crimes induced by the disability of the victim, gender, or sexual orientation, and provide money to states to develop hate crime prevention programs. This law would permit the federal government to work with states and local authorities to punish hate crime perpetrators to the fullest extent possible. Although NASW contends that states should continue to play the primary role in the prosecution of hate crime violence, a federal law is essential to complement state statutes and to help states prosecute these complicated and expensive cases. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act has strong bi-partisan support in the Senate where it was passed by a vote of 57 to 42 in the 106th Congress. In the 107th Congress, the bill was reported favorably out of the Judiciary Committee (July 2001) through bi-partisanship, 12 to 7. However, the bill has yet to have a floor vote before either Chamber in this Congress. Over 175 organizations have endorsed (S.625 / H.R.1343) and have lobbied for its passage.

The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is an imperative tool to help fight the continuing problem of hate crimes against people because of race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. To date, African Americans are still more likely to be targets of hate crimes. Of the nearly 8,000 hate crimes reported in 1997, almost 3,000 were motivated by bias against African Americans. Between 1991 and 1997, more than 40 percent of all reported hate crimes were committed against African Americans. Other common victims were Jews, homosexuals, Muslims, and increasingly, Asian and Hispanic Americans. According to the FBI, crimes associated with prejudice because of the victims color, religion, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation increased 2 percent in 2000. The FBI data consists of 8,063 cases reported by Local Law Enforcement in 2000, or 187 more than in 1999. NASW believes that hate crimes continue to plague and terrorize America as well as engender a destructive effect not only on the victims, but also on entire communities throughout the nation. (S.625 / H.R.1343) is vital legislation that unequivocally will address criminal atrocities predicated on racial intolerance and societal indifference directed at people who are viewed as outside of America’s mainstream.