November 21, 2007

Update on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act

The following message has been sent by United ENDA on the subject of the hate crimes legislation passed in September:

As you know, the Senate amended the Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization bill to include the provisions of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) in September.

The House-Senate conference reconciling differences in the two bills was set to meet and complete their work last week, but the conferees could not come to agreement during pre-conference discussions. House Republicans have threatened to oppose the DoD Authorization bill if the hate crime provisions are included. This threat, along with the fact that a number of conservative Democrats are opposed to including the LLEHCPA on the DoD bill and the fact that a number of liberal and anti-war Democrats would like to oppose the DoD bill, has put final passage of this legislation at risk. The conference has now been delayed until after the Thanksgiving recess; the House is expected to take up the DoD Authorization conference report as a top priority item during the week of December 3.

This is the first time this legislation has passed by binding vote in both chambers in the same congress, and the closest it has ever come to the President's desk. It is also historic because the legislation contains gender identity language.

LC/NA will communicate with you further about this situation next week.

We wish you safe travels and a wholesome holiday with family and friends over this weekend.