WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) cosponsored legislation led by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) that would keep guns out of the hands of those who commit criminal acts based on hate. The Disarm Hate Act would prevent individuals convicted of violent misdemeanor hate crimes from purchasing or possessing firearms. 

“Easy access to a firearm gives someone motivated by hate the devastating power to take lives and shatter entire communities,” said Murphy and Blumenthal. “With hate crimes on the rise, our commonsense bill would stop someone who has already been convicted of a hate crime from arming their hate with a gun.”

“When a person commits a criminal act of hate, they should not have access to a firearm. This is the kind of commonsense action we can all agree on to keep our families and communities safe,” said Mark Barden, Managing Director, Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy. “At Sandy Hook Promise, we know that gun violence is preventable and it begins with these first steps to ensure people who are a danger to themselves or others don’t have access to firearms. We applaud this legislation to disarm hate and save lives.”

FBI reports of hate crimes have increased during the last three consecutive years, with more than 7,100 hate crimes reported in 2017 alone. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), there are approximately 204,000 hate crimes committed in the U.S. every year targeting victims based on their actual or perceived race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or religion. Guns are a frequent tool of hate-motivated violence and intimidation. Data from the NCVS shows that, from 2010 through 2016, there were 56,130 hate crimes committed in the U.S. that involved a firearm.

The Disarm Hate Act is endorsed by the following organizations: Giffords, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, CeaseFire PA, the Center for American Progress, Everytown for Gun Safety and Sandy Hook Promise.

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

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