Senate locks in hate crimes deal, setting up Thursday passage
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) set up votes on three GOP amendments to the bill for Thursday.
The Senate will then vote Thursday on final passage of the bill, spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), sending it to the House.
The original bill from Hirono and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) requires the Justice Department to designate an official to review coronavirus-related hate crimes, beefs up state and local resources, and has the administration offer guidance on “best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language” describing the coronavirus pandemic.
The initial bill also required guidance “describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.” That that was changed to guidance “aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The updated bill also worked in legislation from Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) that aims to strengthen the reporting of hate crimes, offer support for hate crimes training for law enforcement and establish a hate crimes hotline.