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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7100 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7100
To direct the Attorney General to establish a task force on anti-Sikh
hate and discrimination.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2026
Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mr. Valadao) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Attorney General to establish a task force on anti-Sikh
hate and discrimination.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sikh American Anti-Discrimination
Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TASK FORCE ON ANTI-SIKH HATE AND
DISCRIMINATION.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Sikhi is a monotheistic, pragmatic, independent and
sovereign world religion that was founded by Guru Nanak in the
15th century in the Punjab region.
(2) Sikhs are commonly identified by the wearing of
turbans, long beards or mustaches, karas (iron bracelets) on
their wrists, or kirpans. Kirpans are mandatory Sikh articles
of faith carried by Amritdhari (initiated) Sikhs at all times.
The word ``kirpan'' comes from two Punjabi words: ``Kirpa''
means an act of kindness, a favor and ``Aan'' means honor and
self-respect. While some Sikhs wear a combination of these
items; others may be seen without a turban or facial hair.
(3) Anti-Sikh hate and discrimination refers to any act,
practice, policy, or conduct that denies, restricts, or
infringes upon the rights of individuals based on their actual
or perceived Sikh faith, identity, ancestry, or expression.
This includes incidents or crimes targeting Sikhs, individuals
perceived to be Sikh, Gurdwaras (Sikh houses of worship), Sikh
organizations, and property. It encompasses various forms of
violence, threats, and harassment that are primarily motivated
by religious or racial hostility, bigotry, hatred, or prejudice
against Sikhs.
(4) Sikhs have experienced bias-based violence since their
arrival in this country more than a century ago. From the 1907
Bellingham Riots to the surge in hate crimes following the
September 11th attacks, Sikhs have experienced targeted
violence in the United States for generations. While some
instances of anti-Sikh violence have been linked to mistaken
identity, there are several documented cases where Sikhs have
been specifically targeted due to their faith or other aspects
of their identities.
(5) One of the most violent manifestations of anti-Sikh
hate and discrimination in the United States occurred on August
5, 2012, when a white supremacist gunman with neo-Nazi ties
carried out a mass shooting at a Gurdwara in Oak Creek,
Wisconsin, killing six worshippers and injuring others; a
seventh victim later died in 2020 from injuries sustained in
the attack. This targeted assault, one of the deadliest
assaults against a house of worship in the history of the
United States, remains a stark example of the extreme and
violent forms anti-Sikh discrimination can take.
(6) On August 5, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(hereinafter known as the ``FBI'') released its annual report
on hate crime statistics for 2024, showing that Sikhs remain
the third-most targeted religious group in the United States,
despite comprising less than one percent of the national
population. This disproportionate targeting underscores both
the prevalence and severity of anti-Sikh hate and
discrimination nationwide.
(7) The true scope of anti-Sikh hate crimes in the United
States is likely greater than Federal statistics indicate, as
hate crime reporting is not federally mandated and many
jurisdictions fail to submit annual data. Highlighting this
gap, on November 15, 2023, the former Director of the FBI noted
in a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee that
hate crimes against the Sikh community, among others, are
``chronically underreported''.
(8) On December 12, 2024, the White House released the U.S.
National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia, which acknowledges
that greater efforts at combating anti-Sikh bias and hate must
be made to better protect members of the Sikh community. The
strategy emphasized the need for increased awareness,
understanding, and action to combat hate speech and
discriminatory practices.
(9) Hatred and violence targeting the Sikh community in the
United States may also originate from, or be supported by,
foreign entities and governments and can take the form of
transnational repression. The FBI has warned the Sikh community
about such targeting by foreign governments. This phenomenon
was underscored when the Department of Justice indicted two
individuals for involvement in the attempted assassination of a
Sikh American in 2023. Such developments underline the ongoing
and varied forms of hate and violence that Sikhs continue to
face.
(10) On June 3, 2025, following the prosecution and
conviction of an individual for making violent threats against
employees of a Sikh American advocacy group, Assistant Attorney
General for Civil Rights Harmeet Kaur Dhillon addressed the
issue of hateful rhetoric against Sikh Americans and stated,
``The Department of Justice has no tolerance for hate-fueled
threats of violence in our country.''.
(11) Anti-Sikh hate and discrimination comes in many forms
and includes--
(A) physical violence and hate crimes, which can
include acts of assault, shooting, vandalism, arson, or
other criminal conduct intended to cause bodily injury,
death, or destruction of property, where such conduct
is directed at Sikh individuals, or Sikh places of
worship (Gurdwaras), institutions, properties, or
organizations;
(B) harassment and intimidation, which can include
the making of violent threats, verbal abuse, hate
speech, or other communications that incite, call for,
justify, or promote violence, as well as conduct that
places a Sikh individual or organization in reasonable
fear of bodily injury or damage to property;
(C) stereotyping and vilification, which can
include dissemination of false narratives that target
Sikhs with a dehumanizing intent, collectively blaming
or defaming the Sikh people or portraying the Sikh
community in ways that normalize prejudice and incite
hostility toward Sikh identity and Sikh expression;
(D) civil rights violations, which can include the
denial of equal treatment, protection, or opportunity
in employment, education, or government services,
including the adoption or enforcement of policies,
rules, or practices that prohibit, restrict, or
penalize the wearing of Sikh articles of faith, or
otherwise interfere with the free exercise of religion;
and
(E) transnational repression, which can include
acts of harassment, intimidation, surveillance,
coercion, threats, or violence, directed at United
States-based Sikhs, that are conducted by or on behalf
of a foreign government.
(12) Sikhs in the United States endure persistent
discrimination, harassment, and violence in their daily lives,
facing a unique combination of hate violence, prejudice,
religious discrimination, and transnational repression.
Addressing this requires a dedicated task force focused
specifically on combating anti-Sikh hate and discrimination in
all its forms.
(b) Task Force.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish
a Task Force on Anti-Sikh Hate and Discrimination (hereinafter
known as the ``Task Force'').
(2) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
(A) draft a definition of anti-Sikh hate and
discrimination for the Department of Justice to assist
in prosecutorial decision-making and collecting
statistics on offenses under section 249 of title 18,
United States Code; and
(B) develop an educational program that may be
disseminated to local and Federal law enforcement
agencies, elementary schools and secondary schools, and
institutions of higher education on Sikh and
identifying anti-Sikh hate and discrimination.
(3) Report.--
(A) Annual report.--The Task Force shall submit to
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives and the Senate an annual report
including an overview of--
(i) hate crimes against a Sikh victim;
(ii) any action brought against a
perpetrator of a hate crime against a Sikh
victim;
(iii) any ongoing threats and trends in
hate against Sikhs, from transnational
repression and other sources; and
(iv) any efforts undertaken by the
Department of Justice to combat anti-Sikh hate
and discrimination.
(B) Additional report.--Every five years, the Task
Force shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of
the House of Representatives and the Senate a report
summarizing the annual reports under subparagraph (A).
(4) Translation.--The Task Force shall translate any public
resources or materials released by the Task Force into Punjabi.
(5) Collaboration.--The Task Force shall meet, on a
quarterly basis, to collaborate with members of the Sikh
community and Sikh organizations.
(c) Rule of Construction.--This Act shall be construed to require
the Attorney General to adopt the definition of anti-Sikh hate and
discrimination developed under subsection (b)(2)(A) for all relevant
purposes.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Elementary schools and secondary schools.--The term
``elementary schools and secondary schools'' shall have the
meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Institutions of higher education.--The term
``institutions of higher education'' shall have the meaning
given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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