IN HCR0070

Urges the legislative council to assign the topic of bias motivated crimes to an appropriate interim study committee

Notes that Indiana is one of only five states without an enumerated criminal statute addressing punishment and sentencing of bias motivated crimes

States that bias motivated crimes and hate groups have increased in Indiana according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and national civil rights organizations

Directs the assigned committee to study comparative state and federal statutes on bias motivated crimes, law enforcement training and education, suspect class identification, effectiveness of sentencing approaches, and how Indiana courts currently address bias motivated crimes