Bill Text: CA AB2279 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-07-01 - In committee: Referred to suspense file. [AB2279 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2279-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  June 03, 2024

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 04, 2024

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 18, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2279

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Introduced by Assembly Members Cervantes and Ramos

February 08, 2024

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An act to add Section 15008 to the Government Code, relating to state government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2279, as amended, Cervantes. Bureau of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Persons. Persons Justice Program.

Existing law establishes the Department of Justice, and makes the department responsible, in part, for overseeing statewide criminal justice programs.

Existing law requires the Department of Justice to provide technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies and tribal governments relating to tribal issues, including providing guidance for law enforcement education and training on policing and criminal investigations on Indian lands, providing guidance on improving crime reporting, crime statistics, criminal procedures, and investigative tools, and facilitating and supporting improved communication between local law enforcement agencies and tribal governments.

This bill would establish a Bureau of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Persons Justice Program within the Department of Justice. The bill would impose specified responsibilities on the bureau, program, including facilitating collaboration and acting as a liaison between tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and federal, tribal, state, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies regarding cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons in California, including cases involving human trafficking. The bill, until January 1, 2029, would require the bureau to submit an annual report to both houses of the Legislature containing data on the number of and facts about cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons in California.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 15008 is added to the Government Code, to read:

15008.

 The Bureau of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Persons Justice Program is established within the Department of Justice. The bureau program shall have all of the following responsibilities:

(a) Facilitate collaboration and act as a liaison between tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and federal, tribal, state, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies regarding cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons in California, including cases involving human trafficking.

(b) Assist in investigating Provide technical advice to law enforcement agencies regarding cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons, including cases of human trafficking, that occur in California, if where appropriate.

(c) Publish data on the number of and facts about cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons in California.

(d) Submit an annual report to both houses of the Legislature containing the information published pursuant to subdivision (c).

(1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed pursuant to this subdivision is inoperative on and after January 1, 2029, pursuant to Section 10231.5.

(2) The report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.