Senate Engrossed House Bill

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature First Regular Session 2019

HOUSE BILL 2570

 

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.  Four members of the house of representatives who are of indigenous descent or who attend meetings and actively work on issues relating to indigenous peoples. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint these members. The appointed representatives shall select by a majority vote one representative to serve as chairperson of the study committee.

2.  Four members of the senate who are of indigenous descent or who attend meetings and actively work on issues relating to indigenous peoples.  The president of the senate shall appoint these members. The appointed senators shall select by a majority vote one senator to serve as vice chairperson of the study committee.

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

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

5.  The following members who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives:

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

(b)  One victim advocate.

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

(d)  One representative who is from the southwest indigenous women's coalition, a tribal statewide organization that provides advocacy for or counseling to indigenous women and girls who have been victims of violence.

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

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

6.  The following members who are appointed by the president of the senate:

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

(d)  One social worker who works with a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides services to indigenous women and girls.

(e)  One representative who works with a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides legal services to indigenous women and girls.

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, 2020 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, 2021.