Federal hate crimes bill would protect students with disabilities on school buses

From School Transportation News:

A federal bill on hate crime prevention seeks to protect not only those of different races, religions and sexual orientations but people with disabilities, including children under the care of school districts that transport them to and from special needs programs.

U.S. Attorney Gen. Eric Holder testified in support of The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Shepard was a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was kidnapped, beaten and killed in 1998 because he was gay. The case was the subject of a 2002 made-for-TV movie.
If the bill is passed, those found guilty of injuring a person based on their disability could be imprisoned for up to 10 years. If a person is found guilty of killing, kidnapping or sexually abusing someone because of their disability, or even attempting any of the aforementioned crimes, the maximum prison sentence would be life. In addition to disabilities, the Matthew Sheppard Act would protect people injured or murdered because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

“Congress has shown a consistent and durable commitment to the protection of persons with disabilities from discrimination based on their disabilities, including the 1988 amendments to the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and the amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which were signed into law by President George W. Bush last year,” testified Holder. “Congress has extended civil rights protections to persons with disabilities in many traditional civil rights contexts, and it is time they be protected from bias-motivated violence as well.”

Originally introduced by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Matthew Shepard Act seeks to expand upon 1969 U.S. federal hate crime laws. It died in committee during the 110th Congress but resurfaced as an amendment to last year’s Senate Defense Reauthorization bill. The amendment was dropped amid opposition from anti-war Democrats, conservative groups and President George W. Bush, but President Obama has since said he wishes to see the current version of the bill passed. The House passed a similar bill in April.