State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-172nd) re-introduced legislation this week that seeks to instate hate-crimes protections for LGBT Pennsylvanians.
Boyle submitted HB 505 Monday, with 42 cosponsors. Among the supporters are two Republicans: Rep. John Taylor of Philadelphia and Rep. Thomas Murt of Montgomery County. Both were cosponsors of the legislation last session; Republican Reps. Bernie O’Neill, James Santora and Chris Ross, who cosponsored last session, have not yet added their names to this session’s bill.
The 2015 version was sent to the Judiciary Committee, where it died before being scheduled for a hearing or committee vote. This year’s version has not yet been assigned a committee, but Boyle Chief of Staff Amanda Zellner said she expects the measure to again be sent to the Judiciary Committee.
The committee moved the legislation forward in 2014, shortly after a high-profile gay-bashing incident in Philadelphia, but the bill failed to be called for a full vote on the House floor.
The Pennsylvania legislature added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s hate-crimes law in 2002, but that measure was later overturned by the judiciary on a procedural technicality.