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

California Assembly Bill 2279

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-06-03 - From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on PUB S. [AB2279 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2279-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 18, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2279

Introduced by Assembly Members Cervantes and Ramos

February 08, 2024

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.~~ Women, Girls, and Persons.

Existing law establishes a Rural Indian Crime Prevention Program to provide grants to local law enforcement agencies to provide training to officers and to provide specified services to Native American persons and communities.
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 ~~express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to create~~ establish a Bureau of Missing and Murdered Indigenous ~~Women~~ Women, Girls, and Persons within the Department of Justice. The bill would impose specified responsibilities on the bureau, including facilitating collaboration between tribal governments and federal, state, and out-of-state law enforcement regarding cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons in California. 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.

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

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 is established within the Department of Justice. The bureau shall have all of the following responsibilities:
(a) Facilitate collaboration between tribal governments and federal, state, and out-of-state law enforcement regarding cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons in California.
(b) Assist in investigating cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and persons that occur in California, 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.

SECTION 1.
~~It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to create a Bureau of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women within the Department of Justice.~~