Sponsors (2)
The bill seeks to improve hate-crime reporting, community education, and DOJ transparency—helping victims and accountability—while conditioning federal grants on credible reporting, which could impose costs on local agencies and lead to disputed funding withdrawals.
Crime victims in covered jurisdictions: increases the completeness of hate-crime reporting so victims are more likely to get appropriate services and resources targeted to their needs.
Residents of certified jurisdictions (especially urban communities): promotes police-community outreach and public education about hate crimes, which can improve community awareness and local prevention efforts.
Taxpayers and the public: increases federal oversight and transparency by requiring the Attorney General to evaluate jurisdictions and publish an annual list of certified jurisdictions on DOJ's website.
Local governments and jurisdictions that DOJ deems not to credibly report hate crimes: risk losing Section 505 grant funding for a fiscal year, which could reduce resources for public safety and related programs.
Local governments and communities: potential for disputed or politicized federal determinations (e.g., finding zero or missing reports non-credible) that feel punitive and could strain federal–local relations.
Police departments and local governments: may incur administrative burdens and additional costs to implement reporting systems, policies, specialized units, or public education programs needed to qualify for certification and keep funding.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 29, 2026 by Mazie Hirono · Last progress January 29, 2026
Requires the Attorney General to develop, within three years, a data-based method to evaluate whether large local jurisdictions credibly report hate crimes. Jurisdictions (local governments with more than 100,000 people that applied for certain Department of Justice grants) found to have failed to credibly report hate crimes for a year become ineligible for an allocation the next fiscal year unless the Attorney General certifies they have completed specified public education, reporting, or organizational improvements. The Attorney General must publish an annual list of jurisdictions that receive a certification exception.