WASHINGTON, April 29 (UPI) -- Legislation in the U.S. Congress would place attacks on homeless people on a level similar to hate crimes.
The bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would require the FBI to track crimes against the homeless, something the bureau currently does for victims' race, gender, religion, disabilities and sexual orientation.
USA Today said Tuesday the bill was part of a growing trend in the United States to increase penalties for attacks on street people, including elevating such incidents to hate-crime status.
"This is about punishing people who take advantage of the most vulnerable in our society," said Ohio state Rep. Mike Foley, D- Cleveland, who introduced such a measure in the Legislature. "There is too much of it going on."
Similar legislation is pending in Alaska and Massachusetts. Maine already passed tougher penalties.
The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report that attacks on the homeless increased from 142 in 2006 to 160 last year, including 28 killings.
