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Bill

HB 247

Hate crimes; revise delineation of victim.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Missy McGee

Mississippi bill would revise hate crime victim definitions, affecting who receives enhanced legal protections and penalties in bias-motivated crimes.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 247

Legislative bill overview

HB 247 proposes to revise how Mississippi's hate crimes statute defines and delineates victims of hate crimes. The bill would modify the legal framework for who qualifies as a victim under hate crime protections. The specific nature of these revisions is not detailed in the available legislative record.

Why is this important

Hate crime statutes carry enhanced penalties and require proving the defendant's bias motivation. How "victim" is defined directly affects who receives legal protections and which crimes trigger enhanced penalties. Changes to victim delineation could expand or restrict protections for specific groups or circumstances.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of protection expansion or limitation: Whether revisions broaden protections to additional groups or narrow existing protections, affecting advocacy organizations on both sides
  • Definitional clarity: Potential ambiguity in how revised victim categories are applied by law enforcement and prosecutors
  • Enforcement consistency: Whether changes create uniform application across jurisdictions or introduce interpretive challenges for different prosecutors

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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