SB 5477 — Implementing the recommendations of the Washington state missing and murdered indigenous women and people task force.

S-1291.1S-0128.2 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5477 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session By Senate Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Torres, Trudeau, Braun, Muzzall, Billig, Boehnke, Conway, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Kauffman, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Pedersen, Randall, Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Van De Wege, Wagoner, Warnick, and C.

Wilson)Wilson READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/10/23.01/19/23.

Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

1 SSBSB 5477 (d) The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives jointly shall appoint the following:

(e) Where feasible, the task force may invite and consult withwith: any entity, agency, or individual deemed necessary.

(i) An agent representing the federal bureau of investigation;

(ii) An agent representing the office of the United States attorneys;

(iii) Federally recognized tribes located in a state adjacent to Washington state;

and (iv) Any experts or professionals involved and having expertise in the topic of missing and murdered indigenous women and people.

and (b)p. One summit annually.

2 SB 5477 (b) One summit annually with the state agencies involved with the task force under subsection (1) of this section, federally recognized Indian tribes in Washington state, federally recognized tribes located in a state adjacent to Washington state, and urban Indian organizations.

(a) Assessing systemic causes behind gender-based violence including patterns and underlying historical, social and economic, institutional, and p.cultural factors which may contribute to disproportionately high levels of gender-based violence that occur against American Indian and Alaska Native people and ways to improve cross-border coordination between law enforcement and federally recognized tribes that share a state border with Washington state;

2(b) SSBAssessing 5477data culturaltracking factorsand whichreporting maypractices contributerelating to disproportionatelygender-based high levels of violence that occur against American Indian and Alaska Native people andin recommendingWashington changesstate; to address these systemic causes;

(b)(c) IdentifyingMaking waysrecommendations to improve cross-border coordination between law enforcement and federallybest recognizedpractices tribesfor thatimproving: share a border with Washington state;

(c)(i) AssessingThe collection and recommendingreporting improvementsof to data trackingby tribal, local, and reportingstate practiceslaw relatingenforcement agencies to more effectively understand and address issues of gender-based violence againstfacing American Indian and Alaska Native peoplepeople; in Washington state;

(d) Making recommendations and best practices for improving:

(i) The collection and reporting of data by tribal, local, and state law enforcement agencies to more effectively understand and address issues of violence facing American Indian and Alaska Native people;

(e)(d) Reviewing prosecutorial trends and practices relating to crimes of gender-based violence against American Indian and Alaska Native people in Washington state,state; identifying disparities, and recommending changes to address such disparities;

(f)(e) Identifying barriers to providing more state resources in tracking andgender-based addressing violence against American Indian and Alaska Native people and reducing the incidences of gender-based violence;

(g)p. Assessing and identifying state resources to support programs and services for survivors, impacted family members, and tribal and urban Indian service providers working with American Indian and Alaska Native people who have experienced violence and identifying needs of survivors, impacted family members, and tribal and urban Indian service providers that are not currently being met;

(h)3 IdentifyingSB and5477 making(f) recommendationsAssessing forand increasingidentifying state resources to support programs and services for trainingssurvivors, onfamilies culturallyof attunedsurvivors, bestand practicestribal forand urban Indian service providers working with American Indian and Alaska Native communitiespeople forthat p.have experienced gender-based violence;

3and SSB(g) 5477Identifying and making recommendations for increasing state resources for trainings on culturally attuned best practices for working with American Indian and Alaska Native communities for tribal, local, and state law enforcement personnel in Washington state;state.

and (i) Supporting efforts led by American Indian and Alaska Native people to address this crisis, with the recognition that those personally impacted are already doing critical work to address the impacts of the missing and murdered indigenous women and people crisis in communities and that community-led work must be centered in order to identify and fully address the scope of the issue.

The task force and the office of the attorney general shall conduct eight site visits in different locations across the state in collaboration with tribes and native-led organizations.

(b) The office of the attorney general may, when deemed necessary by the task force, retain consultants to provide data analysis, research, recommendations, training, and other services to the task force for the purposes provided in subsection (3) of this section.

4 SSBSB 5477 (iii) Best practices for family members in missing and murdered indigenous women and people cases when working with law enforcement;

5 SSBSB 5477 consent to contact the dentist or dentists of the missing person and request the person's dental records;

6 SSBSB 5477 shall contain the information referred to in this section and such other information as the Washington state patrol finds relevant to assist in the location of a missing person.

7 SSBSB 5477