Legislative Background
Recent Action on Hate Crimes
Proposals to expand existing Federal hate crime statutes have been introduced in each Congress since 1999, but none has been enacted. With the Democrats taking over the leadership in the 110th Congress, advocates saw a new chance to strengthen the laws.Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act On March 20, 2007, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (MI-D) introduced H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Current hate crime law protects people only while they are engaged in a federally protected activity, such as voting or going to school. The bill would make the following amendments to…