Hate Crimes Commission Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill creates a 10-member United States Commission on Hate Crimes, with members appointed by congressional leaders and the Attorney General. No more than 5 members can come from law enforcement and no more than 5 from civil rights organizations, ensuring balanced perspectives.
• The commission will investigate factors driving hate crimes, including the role of social media and technology, and will examine ways law enforcement can reduce these incidents. It will also study the growing problem of online hate crimes.
• A major focus is fixing how hate crimes are tracked. Many local police departments report zero hate crimes to the FBI's system, which makes it hard to understand the true scale of the problem. The commission will identify barriers that discourage reporting.
• The bill requires a Government Accountability Office audit of the FBI's hate crime data within one year. The audit will compare FBI numbers against data from civil rights organizations and the National Crime Victimization Survey to check for accuracy.
• The commission must deliver a report to Congress and the White House within one year of being fully appointed, with specific recommendations for improving reporting and preventing bias-based attacks. The commission shuts down 90 days after submitting its report.