Commission on the State of Hate

Background and Duties of the Commission

In response to a wave of hate crime reports in California, the Commission was established by Assembly Bill 1126 and funding was appropriated in the Budget Act of 2022. Authored by Assemblymember Bloom and signed into law by Governor Newsom in 2021, AB 1126 tasks the Commission with understanding the state of hate in California and developing recommendations for preventing and responding to hate activity. Specifically, the Commission is tasked with monitoring trends in hate activity in the state, engaging in research on hate activity, increasing awareness of the state of hate through public forums and collaborations, and advising local governments, the Governor, the Legislature, and communities on how to prevent and respond to hate activity. The Commission hosts at least four community forums per year on the state of hate in California. The Commission will also release an Annual State of Hate Commission Report that describes its activities from the previous year, and its recommendations for the following year. By July 1, 2026, the Commission’s Annual State of Hate Commission Report will provide a comprehensive accounting of hate activity in the state and identify best practices, resources, and recommendations for law enforcement, government officials, and communities to respond to and reduce instances of hate crimes. The first report will be published on or before July 1, 2023.

The Commission is part of the Civil Rights Department (CRD) and is staffed by CRD experts. In addition to receiving, investigating, mediating, and prosecuting complaints of hate violence and other civil rights violations, CRD has numerous anti-hate initiatives, including the CA vs. Hate Resource Line and Network and a Community Conflict Resolution Unit.

The meetings of the Commission are open to the public. Subscribe to the Commission’s listserv to receive notices and updates about Commission meetings, community forums, and reports.