S. 937: COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
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S. 937: COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-23 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Became Public Law No: 117-13.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-23 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: 7 recorded votes in our records. Latest: House roll call 145 (2021): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S937 (2021-05-18), Passed. See all
- Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 117-13. (final step reached)
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
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 hate crimes and reports of hate crimes. DOJ must issue guidance for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies on establishing online hate crime reporting processes, collecting data disaggregated by protected characteristic (e.g., race or national origin), and expanding education campaigns. Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill establishes grants for states to create state-run hate crimes reporting hotlines. It also authorizes grants for states and local governments to implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System and to conduct law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs to prevent, address, or respond to hate crimes. Finally, in the case of an individual convicted of a hate crime offense and placed on supervised release, the bill allows a court to order that the individual participate in educational classes or community service as a condition of supervised release.
Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] · 44 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] reported raising $616,935 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
Recorded votes
- Senate vote 151 (2021): On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed, S937 (2021-04-14): Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to
- Senate vote 152 (2021): On the Motion to Proceed, S937 (2021-04-15): Motion to Proceed Agreed to
- Senate vote 162 (2021): On the Amendment, S937 (2021-04-22): Amendment Rejected
- Senate vote 163 (2021): On the Amendment, S937 (2021-04-22): Amendment Rejected
- Senate vote 164 (2021): On the Amendment, S937 (2021-04-22): Amendment Rejected
- Senate vote 165 (2021): On Passage of the Bill, S937 (2021-04-22): Bill Passed
- House roll call 145 (2021): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S937 (2021-05-18): Passed
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
- Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117s937.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>
Record fed-us-cong117-s937 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117