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H.R. 1843: COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

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H.R. 1843: COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-11 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-11 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

Plain summary

COVID - 19 Hate Crimes Act This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hate crimes and reports of COVID-19 hate crimes. It defines COVID-19 hate crime as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race or ethnicity) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic. The bill requires DOJ to issue guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies on (1) the establishment of online hate crime reporting processes and the availability of online reporting in multiple languages, and (2) the expansion of culturally competent education campaigns. Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance on best practices for mitigating racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] · 181 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Judy Chu (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), André Carson (D-IN), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Deborah K. Ross (D-NC), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Al Green (D-TX), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Peter Welch (D-VT) and 121 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] reported raising $2.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-hr1843 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117