Massachusetts S996 reforms hate crime statutes by enhancing penalties and data collection.
Massachusetts S996 amends existing hate crime statutes to increase penalties for offenses motivated by protected characteristics. The bill defines "protected characteristic" to include race, religion, national origin, and other attributes. It enhances penalties for threats, harassment, and assaults based on these characteristics, with additional penalties for using dangerous weapons. The bill also mandates the crime reporting unit to collect hate crime data quarterly from law enforcement and voluntarily from non-law enforcement entities.
Included in complete analysis
- Overview
- Core Provisions
- Implementation
- Impact
- Legal Framework
- Critical Issues
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