Bill > HR4187

This bill aims to modify the federal hate crime statute in the United States Code by changing the legal standard for proving the motivation behind a hate crime. Specifically, the bill replaces the phrase "because of" with "if" and adds language specifying that a person's race, color, religion, national origin, or disability must be "a contributory motivating factor" in causing or attempting to cause injury. This means prosecutors would no longer need to prove that bias was the sole or primary reason for a criminal act, but only that it was one meaningful factor in motivating the offense. By lowering the legal threshold for establishing a hate crime, the bill could make it easier to prosecute cases where discriminatory attitudes played a role in a violent act, potentially expanding the scope of hate crime protections. The bill's title, the "Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2025," suggests its intent to more effectively address and prosecute crimes motivated by bias against protected characteristics.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4187/all-info