The federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act can allow federal prosecution of certain bias-motivated bodily-injury crimes or qualifying attempted weapon attacks when the victim was targeted because of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity and the crime occurred in federal jurisdiction, crossed state or national lines, used interstate-commerce channels or items, interfered with commercial activity, or otherwise affected interstate or foreign commerce. Indiana’s bias-crime requires aw-enforcement agencies to collect and report information on suspected bias crimes; the definition included offenses where the victim was selected because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, but it created reporting/data-collection coverage only, not a hate-crime penalty enhancement.

The federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act can allow federal prosecution of certain bias-motivated bodily-injury crimes or qualifying attempted weapon attacks when the victim was targeted because of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity and the crime occurred in federal jurisdiction, crossed state or national lines, used interstate-commerce channels or items, interfered with commercial activity, or otherwise affected interstate or foreign commerce. commerce. Indiana’s bias-crime requires aw-enforcement agencies to collect and report information on suspected bias crimes; the definition included offenses where the victim was selected because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, but it created reporting/data-collection coverage only, not a hate-crime penalty enhancement.