Hate crimes.

Existing law defines "hate crime" as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of actual or perceived characteristics of the victim, including, among other things, race, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. This bill would, instead, define a hate crime as a criminal act that is motivated in whole or in part by a bias against one or more of the protected characteristics. The bill would define "bias against" and would specify that evidence of bias motivation may include, among other things, instances when the person has selectively targeted the victim based on the actual or perceived characteristic of the victim. By changing the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.