REFERENCE TITLE: study committee; murdered indigenous women

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fourth Legislature First Regular Session 2019

SB 1253

Introduced by Senators Steele: Alston, Bowie, Bradley, Contreras, Dalessandro, Gonzales, Mendez, Otondo, Peshlakai, Quezada, Rios; Representatives Cano, Chávez, DeGrazia, Engel, Epstein, Gabaldón, Hernandez A, Jermaine, Powers Hannley, Rodriguez, Sierra, Teller, Tsosie

 

AN ACT

 

Establishing a study committee on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Study committee on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls; membership; duties; report; delayed repeal

A.  The study committee on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls is established consisting of the following members:

1.  The chairpersons of the house of representatives' and the senate's respective indigenous peoples caucuses or their designees.  The chairperson of the senate indigenous peoples caucus shall serve as chairperson and the chairperson of the house of representatives indigenous peoples caucus shall serve as vice chairperson of the study committee.

2.  The attorney general or the attorney general's designee.

3.  The director of the department of public safety or the director's designee.

4.  The following members who are appointed by the governor:

(a)  One county attorney and one sheriff from a county with a population of eight hundred fifty thousand persons or more and one county attorney and one sheriff from a county with a population of less than eight hundred fifty thousand persons. 

(b)  One representative of a tribal government.

(c)  One victim advocate.

(d)  One chief of police who is from a tribal police department.

(e)  One peace officer who works and resides on a federally recognized American Indian reservation in this state.

(f)  One social worker who is from a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides services to indigenous women and girls.

(g)  One representative who is from a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides advocacy for or counseling to indigenous women and girls who have been victims of violence.

(h)  One representative who is from a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides legal services to indigenous women and girls.

(i)  All members of the indigenous peoples caucus.

(j)  One member who works with the Phoenix or Tucson Indian center.

(k)  One member who works in the Phoenix area Indian health services.

B.  The study committee shall meet quarterly or more frequently as the chairperson deems necessary.

C.  Committee members are not eligible to receive compensation, but members who are appointed by the governor are eligible for reimbursement of expenses under title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.

D.  The study committee shall:

1.  Conduct a comprehensive study to determine how this state can reduce and end violence against indigenous women and girls in this state.

2.  Establish methods for tracking and collecting data on violence against indigenous women and girls, including data on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

3.  Review policies and practices that impact violence against indigenous women and girls, such as child welfare policies and practices.

4.  Review prosecutorial trends and practices relating to crimes of gender violence against indigenous people.

5.  Gather data on violence against indigenous women and girls in this state.

6.  Determine the number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in this state.

7.  Identify barriers to providing more state resources in tracking violence against indigenous women and girls and reducing the incidences of violence.

8.  Propose measures to ensure access to culturally appropriate victim services for indigenous women and girls who have been victims of violence.

9.  Propose legislation to address issues identified by the study committee.

10.  Submit a report regarding the study committee's activities and recommendations for administrative or legislative action on or before November 1, 2019 to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.

E.  This section is repealed from and after September 30, 2020.