Matthew Shepard Act Receives Support of Ted Kennedy. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act received the backing of none other than the senior Senator from Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy. This senate version of the Matthew Shepard Act mirrors the House’s version, which was stalled by Republicans last Thursday, attempting to go as far as to change the bill’s name to the “Local Law Enforcement Thought Crimes Prevention Act of 2009â€.
The legislation is expected to pass in the full House tomorrow, may will not be voted upon in the senate until later in the year. If the bill passes the House and the Senate, it enable the U.S. Justice Department to investigate and, if need be, prosecute bias-motivated violence against a person based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.