Bill Text: NJ SR88 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Urges US Department of Justice to dedicate additional resources to solving cases involving missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-09-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [SR88 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-SR88-Introduced.html

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 88

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOSEPH P. CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges US Department of Justice to dedicate additional resources to solving cases involving missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


A Senate Resolution urging the United States Department of Justice to dedicate additional resources to solving cases involving missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

 

Whereas, In the United States, violence against Native American women and girls has reached unprecedented levels on tribal lands, in indigenous villages, and within urban communities; and

Whereas, Some areas have rates of murder against Native American women that are over 10 times the national average, with murder being the third leading cause of death among Native American women and girls; and

Whereas In 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center estimated the number of missing Native American women and girls to be approximately 5,712; and

Whereas, However, only 116 of the cases were logged in the Department of Justice's (DOJ) federal missing persons' database, a resource that allows law enforcement agencies to share information; and

Whereas, The unique position of Native American tribes as both sovereign and dependent creates problematic jurisdictional barriers that sometimes prohibit effective criminal justice responses from both federal and local authorities; and

Whereas, Federal efforts, such as the 1994 Violence Against Women Act and the STOP Violence Against Women Federal Grant Program, to date have not yielded adequate results in preventing violence towards Native American women and girls; and

Whereas, The federal government is endowed with the Constitutional responsibility to ensure the protection, health, and safety of all United States citizens; and

Whereas, The US DOJ was established with the aims of enforcing the law, ensuring public safety, seeking just punishment for the guilty, and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice; and

Whereas, The US DOJ is uniquely situated to take action to promote the safety and visibility of Native American women and girls; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.  This House urges the US Department of Justice to dedicate additional resources to solving cases involving missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

 

     2.  Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the United States Department of Justice and to the Office of the United States Attorney General.

STATEMENT

 

     This resolution urges US Department of Justice (DOJ) to dedicate additional resources to solving cases involving missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

     In the United States, violence against Native American women and girls has reached unprecedented levels on tribal lands, in indigenous villages, and within urban communities.  Some areas have rates of murder against Native American women that are over 10 times the national average, with murder being the third leading cause of death among Native American women and girls. 

     In 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center estimated the number of missing Native American women and girls to be approximately 5,712.  However, only 116 of the cases were logged in the DOJ's federal missing persons' database, a resource that allows law enforcement agencies to share information.  The unique position of Native American tribes as both sovereign and dependent creates problematic jurisdictional barriers that sometimes prohibit effective criminal justice responses from both federal and local authorities.  Federal efforts, such as the 1994 Violence Against Women Act and the STOP Violence Against Women Federal Grant Program, to date have not yielded adequate results in preventing violence towards Native American women and girls. 

     The federal government is endowed with the Constitutional responsibility to ensure the protection, health, and safety of all United States citizens.  The US DOJ was established with the aims of enforcing the law, ensuring public safety, seeking just punishment for the guilty, and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice.  The US DOJ is uniquely situated to take action to promote the safety and visibility of Native American women and girls.

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