HOUSE BILL NO. 1421 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BYRNES.
2772H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To amend chapter 595, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to a missing and murdered African American women and girls task force.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 595, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be 2 known as section 595.325, to read as follows: 595.325. 1. There is hereby created the "Missing and Murdered African 2 American Women and Girls Task Force" to consist of the following members: 3 (1) The following four members of the general assembly: 4 (a) Two members of the senate, with one member to be appointed by the 5 president pro tempore of the senate and one member to be appointed by the minority 6 floor leader of the senate; and 7 (b) Two members of the house of representatives, with one member to be 8 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one member to be 9 appointed by the minority floor leader of the house of representatives; 10 (2) The director of the department of public safety or his or her designee; 11 (3) Two representatives appointed by the director of the department of public 12 safety from among the following: 13 (a) A member from the Missouri Police Chiefs Association; 14 (b) A member from the Missouri Sheriffs Association; or 15 (c) The superintendent of the Missouri state highway patrol or his or her 16 designee;
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 1421 2
17 (4) One or more representatives appointed by the director of public safety from 18 among the following: 19 (a) The attorney general or his or her designee; 20 (b) The director of the Missouri office of prosecution services; 21 (c) The president of the Missouri association of prosecuting attorneys; 22 (d) A judge or attorney working in a juvenile court; or 23 (e) An attorney working in the United States Attorney's Office; 24 (5) A county coroner or a representative from a statewide coroners association; 25 (6) Three or more representatives appointed by the director of public safety 26 from among the following: 27 (a) A statewide or local organization that provides legal services to African 28 American women and girls; 29 (b) A statewide or local organization that provides advocacy or counseling for 30 African American women and girls who have been victims of violence; 31 (c) A statewide or local organization that provides services to African American 32 women and girls; or 33 (d) An African American woman who is a survivor of gender violence. 34 2. The task force shall appoint a chair who is elected by a majority vote of the 35 members of the task force. The task force shall have an initial meeting before October 36 1, 2025. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be 37 entitled to necessary and actual expenses incurred in attending meetings of the task 38 force. 39 3. The task force shall examine and report on the following: 40 (1) The systemic causes behind violence that African American women and girls 41 experience, including patterns and underlying factors that explain why 42 disproportionately high levels of violence occur against African American women and 43 girls, including underlying historical, social, economic, institutional, and cultural factors 44 which may contribute to the violence; 45 (2) Appropriate methods for tracking and collecting data on violence against 46 African American women and girls, including data on missing and murdered African 47 American women and girls; 48 (3) Policies and institutions such as policing, child welfare, coroner practices, 49 and other governmental practices that impact violence against African American 50 women and girls and the investigation and prosecution of crimes of gender violence 51 against African American women and girls; 52 (4) Measures necessary to address and reduce violence against African 53 American women and girls; and HB 1421 3
54 (5) Measures to help victims, victims' families, and victims' communities prevent 55 and heal from violence that occurs against African American women and girls. 56 4. The department of public safety shall provide administrative support to the 57 task force. 58 5. On or before December thirty-first of each year, the task force shall submit a 59 report on its findings to the governor and the general assembly. 60 6. The task force shall expire on December 31, 2027, unless extended until 61 December 31, 2029, as determined necessary by the department of public safety. ✔
Statutes affected: