Community-Based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9066
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-29: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-25T16:12:24Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation authorizes the Attorney General to create a grant program supporting community-based efforts to prevent and respond to hate crimes. It also amends an existing law to remove a cap on certain related grants.
Key Provisions
- Grant Program Establishment: The Attorney General must create a hate crime prevention grant program. Eligible recipients are limited to community-based organizations, defined as public or private nonprofits that are embedded in or led by communities targeted by hate crimes and that provide educational, public health, and social services in those communities.
- Application Process: Organizations apply directly to the Attorney General with required information on timing, format, and content.
- Allowed Uses of Funds: Grants may support eight specific activities, including:
- Community-based conflict resolution, empowerment, and education strategies.
- Non-carceral sentencing and juvenile hate crime diversion programs.
- Culturally informed public education campaigns on hate crime data collection and reporting.
- Educational classes and community service for convicted defendants tied to affected communities.
- Safety ambassadors to escort vulnerable individuals.
- Support services for victims and families, including mental health assistance.
- Upstander, intervenor, and de-escalation trainings in multiple languages.
- Other community strategies for groups targeted based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.
- Funding Authorization: Up to $30,000,000 is authorized annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, subject to appropriations.
- Amendment to Existing Law: The bill removes the grant amount limit in Section 4704(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (34 U.S.C. 30503(b)) by striking paragraph (5) and renumbering the remaining paragraphs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The primary change is the elimination of a prior cap on grant amounts for support of certain criminal investigations and prosecutions related to hate crimes, potentially allowing larger awards under that program. The new grant program introduces a dedicated funding stream focused on community-led prevention rather than traditional law enforcement approaches.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Justice gains responsibility for administering the new grant program, including application review and oversight, which may require additional administrative resources.
- Citizens and Communities: Targeted communities may gain access to education, victim support, and non-punitive interventions; victims and families could receive expanded mental health and reporting assistance.
- International Relations: No direct effects are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Community-based nonprofit organizations serving hate crime-targeted groups.
- Victims and families of hate crimes.
- The Department of Justice and Attorney General’s office.
- State and local entities involved in hate crime data collection or diversion programs.
- Defendants in hate crime cases participating in community service or education programs.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill emphasizes community-based and non-carceral strategies, which may shift resources away from traditional prosecution models. The grant structure operates within existing appropriations authority and does not alter criminal statutes or constitutional protections related to speech or association. The amendment to the 2010 law streamlines access to existing grants by removing an administrative limit.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-29: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-05-29: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-29: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Community-Based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-29 — PDF (4 pages)