A new bill that responds to the rise in Asian hate crimes has passed Senate legislation according to an NBC DFW article from April 22nd. In it they say:

“The Senate passed legislation Thursday targeting anti-Asian hate crimes after an uptick of incidents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers approved the measure in a 94-1 vote. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was the only member to oppose the bill.

The legislation, introduced by Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, in March, would direct the Department of Justice to expedite the review of hate crimes related to Covid-19 that were reported to law enforcement agencies and help them establish ways to report such incidents online and perform public outreach.”

The new bill has several targeted provisions and received bipartisan support in the House according to another NBC DFW article from May 24th. In it they say:

“The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act initially passed Congress with overwhelming and bipartisan support.

The legislation funds improvements in tracking and reporting hate crimes, helps victims overcome language barriers to report crimes and creates a justice department position solely focused on anti-Asian hate.”

This bill comes as a marked rise in Asian hate crimes sweeps the U.S.