Oregon Senate Bill 577.

Oregon Senate Bill 577 was put into effect on July 15th, 2019. This was the first time this law had been updated in almost 40 years. Oregon Senate Bill 577 changed the original bill and renames a crime of intimidation to bias crime. Bias is defined as "disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group, or a belief". A bias crime or a bias-motivated crime is a more official label for a hate crime . These changes “made it a class A misdemeanor to damage someone’s property, intentionally subject them to offensive physical contact or intentionally cause serious injury on a person based on race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability or national origin. It also removes the prior requirement that a hate crime had to involve more than one suspect” (TrackBill). 

Other than just the additions of what is defined as a crime, “The bill would also require all police agencies to document reports of alleged hate crimes – whether or not they result in arrest – and share information with the state criminal justice division. District attorneys will also be required to track their hate crime case loads and report on outcomes, sentences and recidivism”(The Skanner). With police and attorneys registering the crimes that they deal with, it will give a more accurate representation of how many bias crimes are reported and dealt with. Even with this editing of the bill "National data collection can be complicated by inconsistent reporting requirements on the state level. For example, as of 2019, 37 states still do not have anti-bias statutes for crimes based on gender identity". with the requirement of police and attorneys registering these crimes, more data will give us an accurate representation, and possibly make more states implement bias crime laws.  

There are a multitude of supporters behind the bill such as “Unite Oregon, American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon, and CAIR-Oregon; Oregon State Police; Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore; and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office”. No one has officially submitted any testimony against the bill.