An Act regularizing sentencing for hate crimes

HD 831 requires individuals convicted of hate crimes (or granted a continuance without a finding) to complete a state-approved diversity awareness program, designed by the Secretary of Public Safety and the Commission Against Discrimination. The program must be completed before release from prison or before probation ends. Courts must order this program if the crime was motivated by race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, though they may waive it only with specific written findings of good cause. This bill directly affects hate crime defendants in Massachusetts state court.