In a statement, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) criticized votes related to the hate-crimes provisions in the Defense Department authorization bill. The Senate passed four amendments to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act: three offered by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and one offered by Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.
The act was added July 16, to S. 1390, the Senate version of the Department of Defense Authorization bill.
According to the HRC release, the Senate adopted three amendments by voice vote. One amendment, SA 1615, adds the death penalty to the provisions of the Matthew Shepard Act. The Kennedy amendment provides for additional restrictions in the use of the death penalty under the Act.
The third amendment requires the attorney general to proclaim guidelines with “neutral and objective criteria for determining whether a crime was motivated by the status of the victim.”
A final Sessions amendment, SA 1616, creates a new federal criminal offense for cases involving assaults or battery of a U.S. servicemember—or a member of the servicemember’s immediate family.
Working in coalition with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, HRC sent a letter to senators, opposing these amendments. In addition, HRC has mobilized its members to reach out to senators in an effort to defeat the amendments.