PRINTER'S NO. 753
No. 646 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY FRANKEL, BARD, BEBKO-JONES, BISHOP, BROWNE, COSTA, CURRY, DALEY, FREEMAN, GEORGE, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HORSEY, JAMES, LEACH, LEDERER, MANDERINO, MANN, MYERS, PALLONE, PISTELLA, ROEBUCK, ROONEY, THOMAS, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO AND WANSACZ, MARCH 4, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 4, 2003
AN ACT 1 Establishing the Prevention of Hate Activity Fund; and making an 2 appropriation. 3 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: 4 (1) In fiscal year 1998-1999, 340 incidents of hate 5 activity and intergroup tension incidents were reported to 6 the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. 7 (2) One hundred fifty-eight incidents involving 8 organized hate groups were reported to the Pennsylvania Human 9 Relations Commission in fiscal year 1998-1999, an increase of 10 36 incidents from the previous year. 11 (3) African-Americans were the sole targets in 101 (30%) 12 of the tension incidents reported to the Pennsylvania Human 13 Relations Commission in fiscal year 1998-1999. Jews were the 14 sole targets in 50 (18%) of the total reported incidents. 15 According to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, 16 hatred based on sexual orientation has been increasingly
1 evident through the literature and public speeches of white 2 supremacist-organized hate groups, along with hatred based on 3 skin color, religion and national origin. Other targets of 4 reported hate activity included immigrants and persons with 5 disabilities. 6 (4) Fifty-five percent of reported incidents involved 7 criminal activity that included serious threat to personal 8 safety, such as assault, terroristic threats, reckless 9 endangerment, arson, kidnapping and attempted homicide. 10 (5) An important role of the Pennsylvania Human 11 Relations Commission is monitoring and preventing hate crimes 12 and other actions by hate groups. 13 (6) Most Pennsylvanians reject bigotry and intolerance. 14 (7) Communities around this Commonwealth have organized 15 unity coalitions in an effort to prevent and combat hate 16 activity. 17 (8) The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission is 18 working to respond to and prevent intergroup tension and hate 19 activities through direct assistance to communities and 20 community-based groups, programs to improve police-community 21 relations, technical assistance to school districts and 22 higher education institutions and various types of community 23 outreach and education initiatives. 24 (9) The Pennsylvania Human Relation Commission's current 25 funding level does not allow it to invest sufficiently in 26 combating hate crimes and tension incidents. 27 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 28 hereby enacts as follows: 29 Section 1. Short title. 30 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Prevention of 20030H0646B0753 - 2 -
1 Hate Activity Act. 2 Section 2. Definitions. 3 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 4 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 5 context clearly indicates otherwise: 6 "Commission." The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. 7 "Fund." The Prevention of Hate Activity Fund established in 8 section 3. 9 Section 3. Prevention of Hate Activity Fund. 10 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a special 11 fund in the State Treasury to be known as the Prevention of Hate 12 Activity Fund. 13 (b) Purpose.--The commission shall use the fund to enhance 14 its efforts to combat intergroup tension, ethnic intimidation 15 crimes and hate group activities. 16 (c) Use of moneys.--Sums appropriated under this act may be 17 used for the following: 18 (1) Direct assistance to communities and community-based 19 groups. 20 (2) Training initiatives for law enforcement personnel. 21 (3) Technical assistance to school districts and higher 22 education institutions. 23 (4) Outreach and informational activities directed to 24 local governments, civic organizations, trade associations 25 and other groups. 26 (5) Other activities related to the purpose of the fund. 27 Section 4. Appropriation. 28 The sum of $1,000,000 is hereby appropriated to the 29 Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission for the fiscal year July 30 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, to carry out this act. 20030H0646B0753 - 3 -
1 Section 5. Effective date. 2 This act shall take effect July 1, 2003. A17L35JLW/20030H0646B0753 - 4 -