[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5028 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5028
To establish grant programs to provide for the establishment of a
national hate crime hotline and a hate crime information and assistance
website, to provide training and education to local law enforcement to
prevent hate crimes, and to provide assistance to victims of hate
crimes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 8, 2014
Mr. Israel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish grant programs to provide for the establishment of a
national hate crime hotline and a hate crime information and assistance
website, to provide training and education to local law enforcement to
prevent hate crimes, and to provide assistance to victims of hate
crimes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Hate Crimes Hotline Act of
2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Nationwide, the number of hate groups in the United
States has increased by 67 percent since 2000 according to the
Southern Poverty Law Center.
(2) According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 57
percent of offenses based on perceived ethnicity or national
origin stemmed from anti-Latino bias.
(3) Between 2003 through 2006 and 2007 through 2011 the
percentage of hate crimes motivated by religious bias more than
doubled from 10 percent to 21 percent.
(4) Violent hate crime increased more than 30 percent as a
proportion of all nonfatal violent crime, from 3 percent in
2003 through 2006 to 4 percent in 2007 through 2011.
(5) In New York State--
(A) hate crimes grew 30 percent between 2011 and
2012;
(B) 26 percent of all hate crimes reported were due
to an individual's sexual orientation or perceived
sexual orientation in 2012;
(C) anti-Black hate crimes made up 25 percent of
reported hate crimes against people in 2012; and
(D) 22 percent of total hate crimes were anti-
Jewish, while almost 65 percent of all property hate
crimes were anti-Jewish in 2012.
(6) According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an
average of more than 250,000 people a year are victims of hate
crimes.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL HATE CRIME HOTLINE AND HATE CRIME INFORMATION AND
ASSISTANCE WEBSITE.
(a) In General.--The Attorney General may award one or more grants
to private, nonprofit entities--
(1) to provide for the establishment and operation of a
national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information
and assistance to victims of hate crimes (hereafter in this
section referred to as the ``national hate crime hotline'');
and
(2) to provide for the establishment and operation of a
highly secure Internet website to provide that information and
assistance to such victims (hereafter in this section referred
to as the ``hate crime information and assistance website'').
(b) Duration.--A grant under this section may extend over a period
of not more than 5 years.
(c) Annual Approval.--The provision of payments under a grant
awarded under this section shall be subject to annual approval by the
Attorney General and subject to the availability of appropriations for
each fiscal year to make the payments.
(d) Hotline Activities.--An entity that receives a grant under this
section for activities described, in whole or in part, in subsection
(a)(1) shall use funds made available through the grant to establish
and operate a national hate crime hotline. In establishing and
operating the hotline, the entity shall--
(1) contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-free
telephone line;
(2) employ, train (including technology training), and
supervise personnel to answer incoming calls and provide
counseling and referral services to callers on a 24-hour-a-day
basis;
(3) assemble and maintain a current database of information
relating to services for victims of hate crimes to which
callers throughout the United States may be referred;
(4) publicize the national hate crime hotline to potential
users throughout the United States; and
(5) be prohibited from asking hotline callers about their
citizenship status.
(e) Secure Website Activities.--
(1) In general.--An entity that receives a grant under this
section for activities described, in whole or in part, in
subsection (a)(2) shall use funds made available through the
grant to provide grants for startup and operational costs
associated with establishing and operating a hate crime
information and assistance website.
(2) Availability.--The hate crime information and
assistance website shall be available to the entity operating
the national hate crime hotline.
(3) Information.--The hate crime information and assistance
website shall provide accurate information that describes the
services available to victims of hate crimes, including health
care and mental health services, social services,
transportation, and other relevant services.
(4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to require any shelter or service provider, whether
public or private, to be linked to the hate crime information
and assistance website or to provide information to the
recipient of the grant described in paragraph (1) or to the
website.
(f) Application.--The Attorney General may not award a grant under
this section unless the Attorney General approves an application for
such grant. To be approved by the Attorney General under this
subsection an application shall--
(1) contain such agreements, assurances, and information,
be in such form, and be submitted in such manner, as the
Attorney General shall prescribe through notice in the Federal
Register;
(2) in the case of an application for a grant to carry out
activities described in subsection (a)(1), include a complete
description of the applicant's plan for the operation of a
national hate crime hotline, including descriptions of--
(A) the training program for hotline personnel,
including technology training to ensure that all
persons affiliated with the hotline are able to
effectively operate any technological systems used by
the hotline;
(B) the hiring criteria for hotline personnel;
(C) the methods for the creation, maintenance, and
updating of a resource database;
(D) a plan for publicizing the availability of the
hotline;
(E) a plan for providing service to non-English
speaking callers, including service through hotline
personnel who speak Spanish; and
(F) a plan for facilitating access to the hotline
by persons with hearing impairments;
(3) in the case of an application for a grant to carry out
activities described in subsection (a)(2)--
(A) include a complete description of the
applicant's plan for the development, operation,
maintenance, and updating of information and resources
of the hate crime information and assistance website;
(B) include a certification that the applicant will
implement a high level security system to ensure the
confidentiality of the website, taking into
consideration the safety of hate crime victims; and
(C) include an assurance that, after the third year
of the website project, the recipient of the grant will
develop a plan to secure other public or private
funding resources to ensure the continued operation and
maintenance of the website;
(4) demonstrate that the applicant has recognized expertise
in the area of hate crimes and a record of high quality service
to victims of hate crimes, including a demonstration of support
from advocacy groups;
(5) demonstrate that the applicant has a commitment to
diversity, and to the provision of services to ethnic, racial,
religious, and non-English speaking minorities, in addition to
older individuals, individuals with disabilities, and
individuals of various gender, gender identity, and sexual
orientation; and
(6) contain such other information as the Attorney General
may require.
(g) Hate Crime Defined.--For purposes of this Act, the term ``hate
crime'' means a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a
victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the
object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color,
religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity,
disability, sexual orientation, perceived sexual identification, or
perceived gender identity of any person.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2015
through 2019.
(2) Website.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to
paragraph (1) for a year, not less than 10 percent shall be
used for purposes of carrying out subsection (a)(2).
(3) Availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated
under paragraph (1) may remain available until expended.
SEC. 4. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Attorney General may award grants to eligible
State and local law enforcement entities for educational and training
programs on solving hate crimes (as defined in section 1(g)) and
establishing community dialogues with groups whose members are at-risk
of being victims of such hate crimes.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), a State or local law enforcement entity must be in
compliance with reporting requirements applicable to such entity
pursuant to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act (28 U.S.C. 534 note).
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for
fiscal year 2015 and each succeeding fiscal year.
SEC. 5. LOCAL RESOURCES TO COMBAT HATE CRIMES GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Attorney General shall establish a grant
program within the Office for Victims of Crime in the Office of Justice
Programs, under which the Attorney General may award grants to local
community based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based
organizations to establish or expand local programs and activities that
serve targeted areas and that provide legal, health (including physical
and mental health), and other support services to victims of hate
crimes (as defined in section (1)(g)). Grant funds may be used for
activities including hiring counselors and providing training,
resources, language support services, and information to such victims.
(b) Targeted Area Defined.--For purposes of this section, the term
``targeted area'' means an area with a demonstrated lack of resources,
as determined by the Attorney General, for victims of hate crimes.
(c) Funding Restriction.--None of the funds from a grant made under
this section may be used--
(1) by an organization that discriminates against an
individual on the basis of religion; or
(2) for purposes of promoting religious beliefs or views.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for
fiscal year 2015 and each succeeding fiscal year.
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