Bill > S209

This bill, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, aims to increase the scope and punishment of hate crimes in North Carolina. It does this by: (1) making certain misdemeanors and felonies a higher class offense if they are committed due to the victim's race, ethnicity, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation; (2) creating a new felony offense of "felonious assault as a hate crime"; (3) establishing a hate crimes statistics database to be maintained by the State Bureau of Investigation; (4) requiring law enforcement training on identifying, responding to, and reporting hate crimes; and (5) requiring training for prosecutors on prosecuting hate crimes. The bill provides definitions for key terms like "gender identity" and "serious bodily injury" and includes provisions for civil remedies for victims of hate crimes.