U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act (IRPHA), a bipartisan bill designed to enhance the accuracy and credibility of hate crime reporting in response to an increase in such incidents nationwide. The measure is also being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it was introduced by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Don Bacon (R-NE).
Currently, law enforcement agencies are not required to report crime statistics to the FBI, resulting in less than 16,500 out of more than 19,000 agencies submitting data in 2024. According to the FBI’s 2024 Hate Crimes Statistics report, there were 11,679 hate crime incidents involving over 13,768 victims. This figure represents the second-highest number ever recorded; however, the FBI acknowledges that these numbers likely underestimate the true extent of hate crimes due to underreporting.
The proposed legislation would require the Department of Justice to establish a system for assessing whether local jurisdictions are providing credible data on hate crimes. If jurisdictions fail to report credible data or do not provide any data at all, they would need to improve their reporting systems and conduct community education initiatives on hate crime awareness in order to remain eligible for certain federal funding.
Senator Hirono stated: “As hate-based crimes and incidents surge in our country, this legislation is a step toward better combatting these incidents by improving the credibility of hate crime reporting. All members of our communities deserve to feel safe, regardless of their background. By strengthening reporting and tracking of these incidents, we can better work to prevent these events from taking place and keep our communities safe. Violence and hatred have no place in our country and I will continue to do everything I can to prevent hate crimes and hold those responsible for these acts accountable.”
Senator Collins added: “Crimes motivated by bias against race, national origin, or other innate characteristics simply cannot be tolerated, but when hate crimes are underreported, it limits our ability to respond effectively. This bipartisan legislation would improve the reliability of hate crime data at the Department of Justice, equipping law enforcement and policymakers with the information they need to better prevent these heinous crimes.”
Several advocacy organizations expressed support for IRPHA:
Sim Singh Attariwala from the Asian American Justice Center said: “While the pandemic may be behind us, the shadow of anti-Asian hate has not. The latest FBI statistics confirm that anti-Asian hate crimes in 2024 remain nearly triple the pre-pandemic average, underscoring an urgent need for action… This legislation brings long-overdue accountability to our hate-crime reporting systems so that every survivor is recognized, every community is better protected, and the cycle of invisibility ends.”
Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League stated: “We’re grateful to Senators Hirono and Collins for leading this bipartisan effort to strengthen hate crime reporting. We cannot confront what we can’t measure… Better data means better protection, and this bill is a critical step toward ensuring policymakers and law enforcement have the tools they need to respond to hate-fueled violence.”
Ted Deutch from American Jewish Committee said: “To effectively confront the surge in antisemitic hate crimes—and identity-based violence more broadly—we must first understand the true scope of the threat… AJC commends Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for introducing [the bill], a critical first step toward accurately measuring—and ultimately addressing—the full scale of anti-Jewish and other hate-based violence in the United States.”
Darcy Hirsh from National Council of Jewish Women commented: “At National Council of Jewish Women… All of our communities deserve better. The Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act will ensure that law enforcement agencies around the country accurately track and report hate crimes… We are grateful to Senators Hirono and Collins for their leadership on this crucial bipartisan legislation.”
Kiran Kaur Gill from Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund remarked: “Sikh Americans continue to be among the most targeted religious groups for hate crimes on a per-capita basis… The reintroduction [of this act] is a critical step toward strengthening hate crime data collection…”
Mannirmal Kaur from Sikh Coalition said: “We know that every year, thousands of law enforcement agencies do not report any hate crimes… This bill is a critical step towards truly understanding… By compelling law enforcement agencies to report… policymakers can better understand where stronger laws… are most urgently needed.”
Sakira Cook from Southern Poverty Law Center stated: “Over the past few years…the FBI has reported increasing levels of hate violence… Yet thousands of police agencies across country failed… Voluntary reporting has not worked… This bipartisan legislation… will help ensure more complete data…”
The full text of IRPHA is available online.
