On May 20, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill into law. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, allowing the reporting of hate crimes more accessible at local and state levels by boosting public outreach, as well as ensuring reporting resources are available in multiple languages online.
“We know that we can’t just get rid of hate and racism overnight, but this is certainly a step forward in combatting issues that we are facing,” OCA Las Vegas Board Member Nicole Santero said in an interview with Ch. 3 News. “Hopefully it does help bridge gaps in the system when it comes to addressing and taking action against hate crimes and hate incidents.”