Skip to content
PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Bill · S

S. 909 (111th)

Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

28 April 2009

Last action

28 April 2009 · Introduced

Status

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA], Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT], Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME], Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME], Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA], Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY], Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL], Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA], Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI], Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD], Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI], Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI], Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL], Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA], Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM], Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT], Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN], Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO], Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH], Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA], Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH], Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA], Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA], Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD], Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ], Sen. Nelson, Ben [D-NE], Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA], Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA], Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI], Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV], Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ], Sen. Burris, Roland [D-IL], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI], Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO], Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI], Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK], Sen. Kaufman, Edward E. [D-DE], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

10 August 2026

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act - Adopts the definition of "hate crime" as set forth in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (i.e., a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim or, in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person). Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) provide state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies with technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the investigation or prosecution of violent crimes and hate crimes; and (2) award grants to assist such agencies with the extraordinary expenses associated with the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. Authorizes the Office of Justice Programs to award grants to state, local, or tribal programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Justice (DOJ), including the Community Relations Service, for FY2010-FY2012 to prevent and respond to hate crime acts. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to expand data collection and reporting requirements under such Act to include: (1) crimes manifesting prejudice based on gender and gender identity; and (2) hate crimes committed by and against juveniles. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the exercise of constitutionally-protected free speech.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 28 April 2009

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 28 April 2009

    Introduced

    Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4808-4810)

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 28 April 2009

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in Senate (text)

View fileDownload file

This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.

Leesvertaling

Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 28 April 2009

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 28 April 2009

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 28 April 2009

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

Related records

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.