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Why The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act?

April 26, 2017ACT crimes hate hate crime legislation james byrd jr. matthew shepard prevention

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Why The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act?

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Why The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act? Monday October 26, 2009 The U.S. Senate passed hate crimes legislation Thursday that expands the federal definition of bias-based crimes to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. The bill, passed by the House earlier this month, is named after hate crimes victims Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. How does The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act change existing laws? The bill updates existing federal hate crime legislation by: • removing the current prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally-protected activity, like voting or going to school • giving federal law enforcement agencies greater ability to engage in hate crimes investigations that local authorities choose not to pursue • providing $10 million in funding for 2008 and 2009 to help state and local