State SealARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

HB 2570: study committee; murdered indigenous women.

PRIME SPONSOR: Representative Jermaine, LD 18

BILL STATUS: Transmitted to Governor

 

Overview

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteEstablishes the Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Study Committee) and outlines Study Committee membership and requirements.

Provisions

1.       Establishes the Study Committee consisting of the following members:

a.       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, appointed by the Speaker of the House (Speaker);

i.         The appointed representatives must select by a majority vote one representative to serve a chairperson of the Study Committee;

b.       Four members of the Senate who are of indigenous descent or who attend meetings and actively work on issues relating to indigenous peoples, appointed by the President of the Senate (President);

i.         The appointed senators shall select by a majority vote one senator to serve as vice chairperson of the Study Committee;

c.        The Attorney General or their designee;

d.       The Director of the Department of Public Safety or their designee;

e.       The following members appointed by the Speaker:

i.         From a county with a population of 850,000 persons or more:

Ř  One county attorney; and

Ř  One sheriff;

ii.       One victim advocate;

iii.     One peace officer who works and resides on a federally recognized American Indian reservation;

iv.     One representative 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;

v.        One member who works with the Phoenix or Tucson Indian Center; and

vi.     One member who works in the Phoenix area Indian health services; and

f.         The following members appointed by the President:

i.         From a county with a population of less than 850,000 persons:

Ř  One county attorney; and

Ř  One sheriff;

ii.       One representative of a tribal government;

iii.     One chief of police who is from a tribal police department;

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

v.       One representative who works with a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides legal services to indigenous women and girls. (Sec. 1)

2.       Creates a Study Committee, regarding violence against indigenous women and girls, required to meet quarterly or more frequently as the chairperson deems necessary to do the following:

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

b.       Establish methods for tracking and collecting data;

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

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

e.       Gather data on violence against indigenous women and girls;

f.         Determine the number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls;

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

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

i.         Propose legislation to address issues identified by the Study Committee. (Sec. 1)

3.       Prohibits Study Committee members from receiving compensation, but Study Committee members who are appointed by the governor are eligible for reimbursement of expenses. (Sec. 1)

4.       Directs the Study Committee to submit a report regarding the activities and recommendations of the Study Committee for administrative or legislative action to the legislature and Governor on or before November 1, 2020. (Sec. 1)

5.       Repeals the Study Committee October 1, 2021. (Sec. 1)

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9.       Fifty-fourth Legislature                       HB 2570

10.   First Regular Session                            Version 5: Transmitted

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