File #: Res 1619-2021    Version: * Name: COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (H.R. 1843/S.937)
Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Committee: Committee on Public Safety
On agenda: 4/29/2021
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (H.R. 1843/S.937), which would facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 hate crimes.
Sponsors: Peter A. Koo, Margaret S. Chin, Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Stephen T. Levin, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Carlina Rivera , Brad S. Lander, Diana I. Ayala, James G. Van Bramer, Mark Treyger, Justin L. Brannan, Paul A. Vallone, Adrienne E. Adams, Keith Powers , Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Francisco P. Moya, Alicka Ampry-Samuel , Daniel Dromm , Antonio Reynoso, Carlos Menchaca, Alan N. Maisel, Laurie A. Cumbo, I. Daneek Miller, Mark Gjonaj , Robert F. Holden, Kalman Yeger , Fernando Cabrera , Oswald Feliz, Farah N. Louis, Karen Koslowitz, Darma V. Diaz, Mark Levine, James F. Gennaro, Deborah L. Rose, Barry S. Grodenchik, Eric Dinowitz, Eric A. Ulrich
Council Member Sponsors: 37
Attachments: 1. Res. No. 1619, 2. April 29, 2021 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 3. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 4-29-21, 4. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - April 29, 2021, 5. Committee Report 5/12/21, 6. Hearing Transcript 5/12/21, 7. Committee Report - Stated Meeting, 8. May 12, 2021 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 9. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 5-12-21, 10. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - May 12, 2021

Res. No. 1619

 

Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (H.R. 1843/S.937), which would facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 hate crimes.

 

By Council Members Koo, Chin, Cornegy, Levin, Salamanca, Rivera, Lander, Ayala, Van Bramer, Treyger, Brannan, Vallone, Adams, Powers, Brooks-Powers, Moya, Ampry-Samuel, Dromm, Reynoso, Menchaca, Maisel, Cumbo, Miller, Gjonaj, Holden, Yeger, Cabrera, Feliz, Louis, Koslowitz, D. Diaz, Levine, Gennaro, Rose, Grodenchik, Dinowitz and Ulrich

 

Whereas, The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a sharp increase in the number of reported hate crimes and bias incidents against Asian Americans in New York City and nationwide; and

Whereas, According to a recent New York Times article, activists and police officials believe many potential hate crimes and bias incidents against Asian Americans in New York City have gone underreported or were not classified as hate crimes; and

Whereas, This underreporting and lack of recognition is due to various reasons, including the way hate crimes and bias incidents are designated; and

Whereas, Even with the underreporting, New York City has seen 35 anti-Asian crimes reported so far this year-including a recent attack against a 65-year-old Filipino woman near Times Square-compared to 28 during all of 2020, which itself was a jump from just 3 in 2019, according to New York Police Department (“NYPD”) statistics; and

Whereas, The spike in crimes against Asian Americans in New York City mirrors a nationwide increase, with Stop AAPI Hate-an initiative that tracks violence and harassment against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders-recording more than 3,000 reported incidents in the United States since the start of the pandemic, with at least 260 placed in New York City; and

Whereas, While the NYPD has created an Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Task Force to address this increase in bias-based crimes, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, (H.R. 1843/S.937), sponsored by U.S. Representative Grace Meng and Senator Mazie Hirono, respectively, would enhance such efforts at the federal level by: (1) designating an officer or employee of the Justice Department to facilitate expedited review of COVID-19 hate crimes reported to federal, state, and/or local law enforcement; (2) issue guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies to establish online reporting of hate crimes/incidents available in multiple languages, and expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate public education campaigns, and collection of data and public reporting of hate crimes; and (3) issue guidance describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, (H.R. 1843/S.937), which would facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 hate crimes.

 

 

LS #17242

5/12/2021 1:45 PM

M.T.