Jewish Community Relations Council, advocates back mental‑health capacity grants for communities at risk of hate crimes

Boston — Leaders of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston and community advocates testified in support of H2207/S13888, legislation that would create mental health capacity grants for community organizations at high risk of hate crimes or that serve populations vulnerable to targeted violence.

Faye Ruth Fisher, chief of public affairs for the Jewish Community Relations Council, said the bill — which the witness said had been recommended by the Governor’s hate crimes task force in 2022 and reported favorably by the committee last session — would fund “mental health capacity grants for organizations that are either at high risk of hate crimes or that work with populations at high risk.”

Fisher described the proposal as an upstream, harm‑reduction model that would allow organizations to expand culturally appropriate supports, prevention programming and resiliency work rather than only funding physical security or incident response.

Representative Carrie (Rep. Carrid in the transcript) noted the emotional and societal ripple effects of hate crimes and urged the committee to report the bill favorably.

No formal committee action occurred during the hearing; chairs invited written testimony to the record.