Bill > A00643

This bill establishes the "Homeless Protection Act" which designates certain offenses against homeless persons as hate crimes. It amends the penal law to include "homelessness" as a protected category, alongside race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability, and sexual orientation, for the purposes of determining if a crime was committed in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding the protected characteristic of the victim. The bill also provides a definition of "homelessness" to include individuals or families who are undomiciled, have no fixed address, lack a fixed regular nighttime residence, or reside in certain temporary or emergency housing situations.