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Last Action

Ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2025-04-14

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill establishes a sentence enhancement for felony crimes motivated by a victim's race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, or gender. When such motivation is proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the convicted person's sentence would be increased by one felony class level. The bill also updates an existing aggravating sentencing factor to include gender as a protected characteristic.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill protects vulnerable groups by imposing stricter penalties for crimes driven by bias or prejudice against specific characteristics.
• •They contend that hate-motivated crimes cause greater harm to victims and communities by targeting people based on identity, and that enhanced sentences serve as a deterrent and appropriately reflect the severity of such offenses.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents raise concerns about defining and proving criminal motivation, arguing the requirement to prove bias beyond a reasonable doubt may be difficult and inconsistent across cases.
• •Some also question whether sentence enhancements based on victim characteristics, rather than offense severity, raise constitutional concerns or create disparities in how similarly situated offenders are punished.