An Act relative to restraining orders as they pertain to hate crimes

H 4633 amends Massachusetts law to strengthen protections for victims of hate crimes by clarifying definitions and increasing penalties. It redefines "harassment" to include repeated acts causing fear based on race, religion, gender identity, or other protected characteristics, and expands the definition of "immediate family" for hate crime protections to include close relatives like spouses and children. The bill also increases penalties for assault or battery motivated by bias, imposing fines up to $5,000 or up to 2.5 years in jail. These changes directly affect individuals targeted by bias-motivated violence and law enforcement handling such cases under Chapter 265, Section 39.