In a landmark legislative action, Georgia has emerged as the first American state to file a bill acknowledging and combating Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. The bill aims to officially define Hinduphobia in the state’s penal code and direct the law enforcement authorities to include hate crimes against Hindus under anti-discrimination policies.

Senate Bill 375, introduced with bipartisan support, is backed by Republican Senators Shawn Still and Clint Dixon, along with Democratic Senators Jason Esteves and Emanuel D. Jones. The bill aims to insert a new provision into the Georgia code that defines Hinduphobia as a “set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Hinduism.”

If passed, the legislation would require state and local law enforcement agencies to include Hinduphobia in the enforcement of existing anti-discrimination and hate crime laws.

“Georgia becomes the first state to introduce such a bill, and if passed, will make history once again,” said the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) in a statement. “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.”

This bill builds upon momentum from April 2023, when Georgia passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. That resolution also formally recognized Hinduism as one of the world’s oldest religions, practiced by over 1.2 billion people across more than 100 countries.

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The 2023 resolution was led by Republican Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones of Forsyth County, home to one of Georgia’s largest Hindu and Indian-American communities. Widely praised by Hindu community leaders and advocacy groups, the resolution honored Hindu achievements in American society while condemning hate speech and violence against Hindus.

Hindus comprise around 0.9 percent of the U.S. population, with around 2.5 million people in total across the country, as per the 2023–2024 Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study. More than 40,000 Hindus live in Georgia, the majority of whom are in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

If passed, Senate Bill 375 would be a historic benchmark for religious tolerance and minority rights in the United States, with the potential to set a precedent for other states to adopt.