May 29, 2026
Ms. Meng introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To authorize the Attorney General to establish a hate crime prevention grant, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Community-Based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Hate crime prevention grant
(a) In general
On the date of enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Attorney General shall establish a hate crime prevention grant program, under which community-based organizations shall be awarded grants only for the purposes described in subsection (c).
(b) Application
A community-based organization shall submit to the Attorney General an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may require.
(c) Use of funds
A grant awarded under this section may be used—
(1)
to further community-based strategies for conflict resolution and community empowerment and education;
(2)
to develop and implement non-carceral sentencing and juvenile hate crime diversion programs;
(3)
to establish and implement culturally informed and linguistically appropriate public education campaigns on the collection of data and public reporting of hate crimes;
(4)
to implement and facilitate educational classes and community service for defendants convicted of hate crimes directly related to the community harmed by the offense;
(5)
to employ safety ambassadors to escort vulnerable community members in public places;
(6)
to provide culturally informed and linguistically accessible support for victims or surviving families of hate crimes, including mental health support;
(7)
to provide upstander, intervenor, and de-escalation trainings in multiple languages; and
(8)
to implement such other community-based strategies deemed appropriate for members of communities targeted by crimes on the basis of their race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability, and other vulnerable and historically disadvantaged communities.
(d) Community-Based organization defined
The term community-based organization means a public or private nonprofit organization of demonstrated effectiveness that—
(1)
is embedded within or led by and serves a community targeted by hate crimes; and
(2)
provides educational, public health, and social services as well as assistance to victims and related services in that community.
(e) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal year 2027 through 2031.
Sec. 3. Removal of grant amount limit for support for certain criminal investigations and prosecutions
(a) Improving grant participation
Section 4704(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (34 U.S.C. 30503(b)) is amended—
(1)
by striking paragraph (5); and
(2)
by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively.