HOUSE BILL 278

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Andrea Romero and Derrick J. Lente and Melanie A. Stansbury and

D. Wonda Johnson

AN ACT

RELATING TO MISSING PERSONS; CREATING THE MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN TASK FORCE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. TEMPORARY PROVISION--MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN TASK FORCE--CREATED--FINDINGS--REPORT.--

          A. The "missing and murdered indigenous women task force" is created.

          B. The task force consists of:

                (1) the secretary of Indian affairs or the secretary's designee from the Indian affairs department, who shall be chair of the board;

                (2) the secretary of public safety or the secretary's designee from the department of public safety;

                (3) a representative of the United States bureau of Indian affairs office of justice services designated by the southwest region's deputy regional director for Indian services of the bureau of Indian affairs;

                (4) one person who is a member of a pueblo, appointed by the governor;

                (5) one person who is a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, appointed by the governor;

                (6) one person who is a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, appointed by the governor; and

                (7) one person who is a member of the Navajo Nation, appointed by the governor.

          C. Vacancies by members of the task force appointed by the governor shall be filled by appointment by the governor.

          D. Task force members appointed by the governor may receive per diem and mileage as provided for non-salaried public officers in the Per Diem and Mileage Act and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.

          E. The task force shall conduct a study to determine how to increase state resources for reporting and identifying missing and murdered indigenous women in the state. The task force shall collaborate with tribal law enforcement agencies to determine the scope of the problem, identify barriers to address the problem and create partnerships to improve the reporting of and the investigation of missing and murdered indigenous women.

          F. The task force shall working with tribal governments and shall respect tribal sovereignty. The task force shall collaborate with the United States department of justice to improve its processes for information sharing and coordination of resources in regard to reporting and investigating cases of missing and murdered indigenous women in the state.

          G. The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor, the legislative council service library and the appropriate interim legislative committee and present those findings to the appropriate interim legislative interim committee prior to November 1, 2020.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the Indian affairs department for expenditure in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 to create and maintain the missing and murdered indigenous women task force. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2020 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 3. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

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