Time is of the essence and senators can vote as early as today on whether to add an amendment to Defense Authorization Bill that would also pass the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act (S. 909). The house has previously passed the bill in April and President Obama promises to sign the bill into law should it reach his desk.



This bill expands the coverage of existing hate crime laws to include hate crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. It also provides the federal government jurisdiction to prosecute hate crimes in states where current law or local law enforcement action are inadequate.



Click here to find contact info for your two state senators and urge them to vote in the affirmative or call (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you to your senators.