ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
study committee; murdered indigenous women.
Purpose
Establishes the Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Study Committee) and outlines Study Committee membership and requirements.
Background
The National
Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development and evaluation agency
of the U.S. Department of Justice. A 2016 NIJ report that examined violence
against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men concluded: 1) most
American Indian and Alaskan Native adults are victims of violence; 2) men and
women are victimized at similar rates but in different ways; 3) victimization
rates are higher for American Indians and Alaska Natives;
4) American Indian and Alaska Native female victims are more likely to need
services, but are less likely to have access to those services; and 5) for
American Indian and Alaska Natives, interracial violence is more
prevalent than intraracial violence (NIJ report).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Establishes the Study Committee consisting of the following members:
a) the chairpersons from the House of Representatives' and the Senate's respective Indigenous People's Caucus or their designees;
i. the chairperson of the Senate Indigenous People's Caucus will serve as chairperson of the Study Committee; and
ii.
the chairperson of the House Indigenous People's Caucus will serve as
vice-chairperson of the Study Committee;
b) the Attorney General or their designee;
c) the Director of the Department of Public Safety or their designee;
d) the following Governor-appointed members:
i. one county attorney and one sheriff from a county with a population of 850,000 or more;
ii. one county and one sheriff from a county with a population of less than 850,000;
iii. one representative of a tribal government;
iv. one victim advocate;
v. one chief of police from a tribal police department;
vi. one peace officer who works and resides on a federally-recognized American Indian reservation in Arizona;
vii. one social worker who is from a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides services to indigenous women and girls;
viii. one representative who is from the Southwest Indigenous Women's Coalition, a tribal statewide organization that provides advocacy or counseling to indigenous women and girls who have been victims of violence;
ix. one representative who is from a tribal, statewide or local organization that provides legal services to indigenous women and girls;
x. all members of the Indigenous People's Caucus;
xi. one member who works with the Phoenix Indian Center or Tucson Indian Center; and
xii. one member who works in the Phoenix Area Indian health services.
2. Requires the Study Committee to:
a) conduct a comprehensive study to determine how to reduce and end violence against indigenous women and girls in Arizona;
b) establish methods for tracking and collecting data on violence against indigenous women and girls;
c) review policies and practices that impact violence against indigenous women and girls, such as child welfare policies and practices;
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 in Arizona;
f) determine the number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Arizona;
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.
3. Requires the Study Committee to meet quarterly or more frequently as the chairperson deems necessary.
4. Prohibits
Study Committee members from receiving compensation, however
Governor-appointed members are eligible for reimbursement of expenses.
5. Directs the Study Committee to submit a report, by November 1, 2020, regarding the Study Committee's activities and recommendations for administrative or legislative action to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
6. Requires the Study Committee to provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.
7. Repeals the Study Committee on October 1, 2021.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/21/19 DP 9-0-0-0
3rd Read 3/11/19 60-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 26, 2019
CRS/AG/kja