COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill Signed into Law
May 24, 2021
202.408.9514 x122
press@ndrn.org
WASHINGTON, DC – On May 20th, President Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. This vital piece of legislation includes what was initially known as the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act, a bill NDRN has long supported.
“People with disabilities are frequent targets of hate-motivated crimes,” said NDRN Executive Director Curt Decker. “Today, we stand as an ally with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community who have experienced a rise in hate-based crimes since the start of the pandemic.”
The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act enables the attorney general to distribute grants to state and local law enforcement units to implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). This system helps to identify and classify hate crime activity, equipping law enforcement with vital information to fight back against hate crime. Additionally, the funding enables the local governments to create important hotlines where hate crime activity can be reported.
“The disability community is composed of people from every background, color, and creed. Consequently, the AAPI community is part of the disability community and vice versa,” continued Decker. “NDRN believes this important legislation will positively impact the lives of people with disabilities as well as members of all other minority communities.”
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
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Source: National Disability Rights Network press release, May 24, 2021.
