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The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a top priority for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. This legislation, which has been incorporated in the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill, would make us all safer by providing additional resources to investigate, prosecute, and prevent bias-motivated violence and expanding the definition of a federal hate crime to cover vulnerable communities more effectively. This year, we have a historic opportunity to turn into law this bill, which JCPA has actively supported for more than a decade. This will not be easy. It will require grassroots mobilization. This website is an activism portal on hate crimes and the need for this federal legislation. Here you can receive updates  about the legislative process of The Hate Crimes Prevention Act, find advocacy resources, locate events in your community, read press clippings, and most importantly TAKE ACTION!

Legislative Status Update

October 28, 2009:  Today, President Obama will sign the Defense Authorization Act which includes the Mathew Sheppard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Action into law.  This bill was approved by the Senate with a vote of by a vote of 68-29 and by the House of Representatives with a vote of 281-146. 

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act as a component of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act.

This legislation has been a top Jewish community priority for over a decade.  

Please write to your Members of Congress and thank them for their strong support of this bill. 

Click the button above to send an email to your Representatives and Senators.

Michael Lieberman Testifies Before U.S. Senate

June 25th, 2009, Michael Lieberman, Washington Counsel and Director of the Civil Rights Policy Planning Center of the Anti-Defamation League testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of passing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  To view a his testimony, click here.

ADL is a national member agency of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

JCPA Hosts National Grassroots Conference Call on Hate Crimes Bill

JCPA hosted a National Conference Call on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  This call featured Rep. Jerry Nadler, and ADL Washington Counsel, Michael Lieberman. To listen to a recording of this call, click here.

Listen to a Podcast of this call.

(To Download, right click and select "Save Target As")

Conference Call Features

Rep. Jerry Nadler

Representative Jerry Nadler is a Democratic Member of the House of Representatives from the 8th District of New York. 

Michael Lieberman

Michael Lieberman is the Washington Counsel for the Anti-Defamation League.  He also serves as the Director of the League’s Civil Rights Policy Planning Center.   

Hartford JCRC Hate Crimes Program

The Jewish Community Relations Council in Hartford, CT, is holding an event to discuss the status of hate crimes and how they effect the Jewish community.  This event is open to the public. 

This event will take place at the Avon Public Library and is cosponsored with the Chi Community, also of Hartford. 

Click here for more information.

Senators Give Final Congressional Approval for Enhanced Hate Crime Laws 

WASHINGTON - With final congressional approval of enhanced hate crime laws, the new challenge is in teaching tolerance for all, said a leading Jewish advocacy organization.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) today applauded members of the U.S. Senate for approving the conference report of the FY2010 Defense Authorization Act.  This legislation gives final congressional approval to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, legislation which expands federal hate crime laws to provide better protection for vulnerable populations and increases resources to assist local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to deter, investigate and prosecute hate crimes.  This legislation also expands the definition of a hate crime to include violent crimes based on gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation and disability.

Click here to vist JCPA's full statement.

New Hate Crime Law, Finally

by The Editors

Persistence is a critical ingredient in effective political advocacy, a fact the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups have learned well.

That was evident last week when the Senate approved and sent to the White House a defense authorization bill that included a new hate crimes measure that the ADL helped draft — and which it has pushed with commendable vigor and skill since 1997. 

The Jewish civil rights group called the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act “the most important, comprehensive and inclusive federal hate crime law enacted in the past 40 years.” It provides additional federal authority to help investigate and prosecute violent hate crimes, and explicitly extends coverage to crimes based on the victim’s gender, disability or sexual orientation. 

Click here to read the full article.

 •  VOICES AGAINST HATE   Community and faith leaders speak out against hate crime violence.

Watch the Videos

 •  JCPA Congressional Directory

Click here to access.

 •  JCPA Releases a LLEHCPA Fact Sheet

Click here to access.

•  JCPA webpage about LLEHCPA and what this important legislation would do

•  Important weblinks

•  2004 JCPA Resolution on Hate Crimes