Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, hailed the progress of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a seminal civil rights bill that would provide law enforcement agencies with more tools to fight hate crimes. Rep. Nadler has been an original cosponsor of the bill since its inception and chaired much of the proceedings on the legislation. With hate crime incidence increasingly prevalent nationwide – particularly against the LGBT community – the Act would give the U.S. Department of Justice jurisdiction to assist states and localities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes of violence committed against individuals on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.


“The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is an essential step toward giving teeth to our local and national hate crime laws,” said Rep. Nadler. “That Americans would be singled out and victimized because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion is despicable. That our government currently lacks the ability to fully investigate such heinous crimes and prosecute the perpetrators is shameful.”

The bill was favorably reported out of the House Judiciary Committee today.