A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers introduced legislation on Thursday to help combat the underreporting of hate crimes in the United States.
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The Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assaults and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act was introduced in the House by Representatives by Don Beyer (D-Va.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), and Fred Upton (R-Mich.). It was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
The FBI is required by law to gather data on hate crimes annually; however, local law-enforcement agencies are not obligated to report hate crimes to the FBI. The NO HATE Act will incentivize the reporting of such crimes by making grants available to law enforcement to provide training and the creation of reporting hotlines, among other resources.
The American Jewish Committee welcomed the move, saying it will help law enforcement "more accurately assess and ultimately reduce bias-motivated crime."
The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council also praised the legislation, saying, "All of us must take action against hate."
