[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3228 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3228

To amend section 249 of title 18, United States Code, relating to hate 
               crimes, to clarify the motive requirement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 28, 2020

Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend section 249 of title 18, United States Code, relating to hate 
               crimes, to clarify the motive requirement.

    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 ``Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MOTIVE REQUIREMENT FOR HATE CRIMES.

    Section 249(c) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, 
        the following:
            ``(1) the term `because of' means that the actual or 
        perceived protected characteristic of the victim was a 
        substantial motivating factor in the offense;''.
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