Sec. 2. Findings and purposes

363 words·~2 min read·/bill/116/s/227/is/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress finds the following: On some reservations, Indian women are murdered at more than 10 times the national average. American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.5 times as likely to experience violent crimes—and at least 2 times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimes—compared to all other races according to the National Congress of American Indians. More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women, or 84.3 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime according to the National Institute of Justice.

More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native men, or 81.6 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime according to the National Institute of Justice. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homicide is the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women between 10 and 24 years of age and the fifth leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women between 25 and 34 years of age. Investigation into cases of missing and murdered Indian women is made difficult for Tribal law enforcement agencies due to a lack of resources, such as— necessary training, equipment, or funding; a lack of interagency cooperation; and a lack of appropriate laws in place.

The complicated jurisdictional scheme that exists in Indian country— has a significant negative impact on the ability to provide public safety to Indian communities; has been increasingly exploited by criminals; and requires a high degree of commitment and cooperation among Tribal, Federal, and State law enforcement officials. The purposes of this Act are— to clarify the responsibilities of Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies with respect to responding to cases of missing and murdered Indians; to increase coordination and communication among Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, including medical examiner and coroner offices; to empower Tribal governments with the resources and information necessary to effectively respond to cases of missing and murdered Indians; and to increase the collection of data related to missing and murdered Indian men and women and the sharing of information among Federal, State, and Tribal officials responsible for responding to and investigating cases of missing and murdered Indians.