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If enacted as a law, the state would update its penal code, enabling law enforcement agencies to consider Hinduphobia and take appropriate action in cases of hate crimes against the Hindus in the US.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Team at Capitol Hill for the 3rd National Hindu Advocacy Day, in Washington D.C., U.S.A., on June 28, 2024 (PTI)
Hinduphobia Bill: Georgia has become the first state in the US to introduce a bill to formally recognise Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu discrimination. If enacted as a law, the state would update its penal code, enabling law enforcement agencies to consider Hinduphobia and take appropriate action in cases of hate crimes against the Hindus in the US.
The development is crucial as Indian-origin lawmakers have been flagging rising cases of Hindu-hatred in the US.
Republican Senators Shawn Still and Clint Dixon, and Democratic Senators Jason Esteves and Emanuel D Jones, have backed the move.
The bill, SB 375, dated April 4, was introduced in the Georgia General Assembly. It seeks to introduce a new section to the Georgia state government code that defines “Hinduphobia” as a “set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Hinduism.”
It would mandate state and local enforcement agencies to factor Hinduphobia into the implementation of existing anti-discrimination laws.
“Georgia becomes the first state to introduce such a bill, and if passed, will make history once again. We are proud to work closely with Senator Shawn Still on this important bill and thank him along with Senator Emanuel Jones, Senator Jason Esteves, and Senator Clint Dixon for supporting the needs of the Hindu community in Georgia and the United States,” the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said in a statement.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The State of Georgia has introduced SB 375, which formally updates the state’s penal code to recognize Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu prejudice, and enables law enforcement and other agencies to consider Hinduphobia while cataloging such discrimination and taking… pic.twitter.com/0TKGgtGb8x— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) April 10, 2025
Earlier in April 2023, the Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia. The resolution stated that Hinduism is one of the world’s largest and oldest religions, with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries.
The resolution was led by Republican Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones, representing Forsyth County – home to one of Georgia’s largest Hindu and Indian-American communities.
According to the 2023–24 Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study, Hindus comprise approximately 0.9% of the US population, which is about 2.5 million. Hindus number more than 40,000 in Georgia, primarily in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
