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At midnight tonight, people who beat up or kill a homeless person will face a stricter sentence.

Florida leads the nation in violence against homeless people. Now anyone charged with abusing a homeless person will automatically see the charge moved up one level. For example a second degree felony would become a first degree felony. Janis Thibodeau, with the Big Bend Homeless Coalition says Florida is taking big steps to clean up its image.

“Unfortunately Florida has been first in the nation with violence against the homeless, but being the second state in the nation to make this kind of violence a hate crime speaks well and hopefully it will prevent more,” said Thibodeau.

Nationwide in 2009, 43 homeless people were murdered. The US Senate is now considering new federal laws to make such attacks hate crimes.