Introduced
by
To establish a new “bias-motivated” criminal offense for a person who selects the target of a violent crime or property crime based on victim’s disability; gender; national origin or ancestry; race, color, or ethnicity; religion; sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression of gender; or a person’s or group’s association with one or more of these. Violations would be subject to up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine if the underlying (“predicate”) crime is a misdemeanor, and up to 50 percent more than the sentence authorized for the predicate crime if it is a felony. A person could not be convicted of both the predicate crime and the “bias-motivated” crime (prosecutors would have to choose one or the other).
Referred to the Committee on Judiciary
