The bill amends existing Washington state laws to explicitly include "political affiliation" as a protected category in the definitions of hate crimes. It modifies RCW 9A.36.078 and RCW 9A.36.080 to recognize that crimes motivated by bias against a person's political affiliation, alongside other characteristics such as race, religion, and gender, are serious offenses that warrant specific legal attention. The bill emphasizes the state's interest in preventing crimes motivated by bigotry and bias, and it aims to enhance protections for individuals targeted due to their political beliefs.

Additionally, the bill renames the offense of malicious harassment to "hate crime offense" and establishes a multidisciplinary working group to recommend best practices for identifying and responding to hate crimes. It outlines specific actions that constitute a hate crime, such as assault, property damage, and threats, and clarifies that the intent behind these actions can be inferred based on the context. The penalties for committing a hate crime are classified as a class C felony, and the bill ensures that victims retain the right to seek other legal remedies.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 9A.36.078, 9A.36.080