NO HATE Act
National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act of 2017 or the NO HATE Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue grants to states and local governments to assist in implementing the National Incident-Based Reporting System, including training employees in identifying hate crimes. A state or local government receiving such funding must provide DOJ, through the Uniform Crime Reporting system, information pertaining to hate crimes committed in that jurisdiction. A state or local government failing to provide the required data must repay the grants.
The bill directs DOJ to issue grants to states to create hate crime reporting hotlines.
The bill creates a cause of action for: (1) a victim of a crime motivated by actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin; and (2) a victim of a crime motivated by actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, occurring in the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States or affecting interstate commerce. Under both civil actions, the victims must demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the crime was based on one of the classifications listed. A criminal prosecution need not be brought before a civil action can be filed.
A court imposing a penalty for a violation of the federal hate crime statute may order the defendant to participate in education classes or community service related to the community harmed by the defendant's offense as part of his or her supervised release.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.