HOUSE BILL 208

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021

INTRODUCED BY

Andrea Romero and Melanie Ann Stansbury and Derrick J. Lente

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO MISSING PERSONS; EXTENDING 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. Laws 2019, Chapter 106, Section 1 is amended to read:

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

          A. The "missing and murdered indigenous women task force" is created and shall exist until the end of fiscal year [2021] 2022.

          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] serve as co-chair of the task force;

                (2) the secretary of public safety or the secretary's designee from the department of public safety, who shall serve as co-chair;

                (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;

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

                (8) one person from the office of the medical investigator;

                (9) one person who is a representative of an indigenous women's nongovernmental organization that provides counseling services for indigenous women and girls who have been victims of violence, appointed by the governor;

                (10) one person who is a representative of a statewide or local nongovernmental organization that provides legal services to indigenous women and girls who have been victims of violence, appointed by the governor; [and]

                (11) one person who is an indigenous woman who has been a victim of violence or a family member of an indigenous woman who has been a victim of violence, appointed by the governor; and

                (12) other representatives identified by the co-chairs who are essential to include in future policy discussions.

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

          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 work 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] a summary of its work, policy recommendations and any additional 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 committee prior to November 1, [2020] 2021."

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the Indian affairs department for expenditure in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 to pay the expenses incurred by the missing and murdered indigenous women task force. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2022 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.

- 4 -