Signed by Governor Gary Herbert

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that establishes a missing indigenous women and girls task force.

Highlights:

• Defines “task force” as the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Task Force (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the task force shall have 9 members consisting of the following, including (Sec. 1):

• One member of the senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

• One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the house;

• The following 3 members appointed jointly by the president of the senate and speaker of the house;

• A member of a nonprofit organization primarily serving Utah’s Native American community;

• A member of a Utah Native American tribe; and

• A representative of a victim advocate organization serving Utah’s Native American population;

• The director of the Division of Indian Affairs, or their designee;

• The executive director of the Department of Human Services, or their designee;

• The attorney general, or their designee; and

• The commissioner of public safety for the Department of Public Safety, or their designee.

• Specifies that the aforementioned senator and representative shall serve as co-chairs of the task force (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that a quorum consists of 5 members and any action of the majority of a quorum shall constitute an action of the task force (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits any member of the task force who is not a member of the state legislature from receiving a salary or benefits but authorizes them to receive travel expense compensation (Sec. 1).

• Requires the task force to conduct appropriate consultation with tribal governments on the scope and nature of the issues regarding missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and develop model protocols and procedures to apply to new and unsolved cases, including the best practices for (Sec. 1):

• Improving the way law enforcement investigators and prosecutors respond to the high volume of cases;

• Collecting and sharing data among various jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies; and

• Better use of existing criminal databases.

Full Bill Text