CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 4

Introduced by Senator Cervantes

December 02, 2024

An act to add Section 15008 to the Government Code, relating to state government.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 4, as introduced, Cervantes. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program.
Existing law establishes the Department of Justice, and makes the department responsible, in part, for overseeing statewide criminal justice programs.
Existing law requires the Department of Justice to provide technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies and tribal governments relating to, among other things, providing guidance for law enforcement education and training on policing and criminal investigations on Indian lands, providing guidance on improving crime reporting, crime statistics, criminal procedures, and investigative tools, and facilitating and supporting improved communication between local law enforcement agencies and tribal governments.
This bill would establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program within and under the discretion of the Department of Justice. The bill would impose specified responsibilities on the program, including facilitating collaboration and acting as a liaison between tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and federal, tribal, state, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies, where appropriate, regarding active and inactive cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California, including cases involving human trafficking. The bill, until January 1, 2029, would require the program to submit an annual report to both houses of the Legislature containing, among other things, data on the number of and facts about cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 15008 is added to the Government Code, to read:

15008.
 The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program is established within and under the discretion of the Department of Justice. The program shall have all of the following responsibilities:
(a) Facilitate collaboration and act as a liaison between tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and federal, tribal, state, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies, where appropriate, regarding active and inactive cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California, including cases involving human trafficking.
(b) Provide technical assistance to law enforcement agencies already engaged in investigating cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California, including cases of human trafficking.
(c) Publish data on the number of and facts about cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California, where appropriate.
(d) (1) Submit an annual report to both houses of the Legislature containing all of the following:
(A) The cases the department acted as a liaison pursuant to subdivision (a) and provided technical assistance to law enforcement pursuant to subdivision (b).
(B) The information published pursuant to subdivision (c).
(C) An analysis of all appropriate data, and any recommendations to assist or improve upon necessary collaboration and coordination between local, state, and tribal governments in addressing missing and murdered indigenous persons in California.
(2) (A) The requirement for submitting a report imposed pursuant to this subdivision is inoperative on and after January 1, 2029, pursuant to Section 10231.5.
(B) The report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.