WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) today joined her colleagues in passing the National Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which includes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, on a vote of 281 to 146. The Act is focused on giving state and local law enforcement the tools and resources they need to prevent and prosecute hate crimes.  It also extends protections to more Americans.  The current federal hate crimes law authorizes federal aid in cases of hate crimes committed because of a person’s race, color, religion, or national origin.  This bill closes gaps in federal law to help combat hate crimes committed because of a person’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. U.S. Rep. DeGette cosponsored the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

“Everyone in this country deserves the opportunity to live their lives free from intimidation and persecution,” said DeGette.  “When signed by President Obama, this will be the first federal law specifically protecting LGBT Americans. This Act will provide state and local law enforcement agencies with resources they need to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, while also protecting the exercise of free speech under our Constitution.”

U.S. Rep. DeGette is Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, a bipartisan caucus that represents different races, genders, sexual orientations, geographic regions, different generations, and parties, but shares a common mission:  to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality.