19.3127.01000
Sixty-sixth
Legislative Assembly HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3041
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Buffalo, P. Anderson, Dobervich, Hager, Hanson, Holman, M. Nelson
Senators Dotzenrod, Kannianen, Oban, Schaible
1 A concurrent resolution urging Congress to pass Savanna's Act.
2 WHEREAS, homicide is the third leading cause of death among American Indian and
3 Alaska Native women between 10 and 24 years of age and the fifth leading cause of death for
4 American Indian and Alaska Native women between 25 and 34 years of age; and
5 WHEREAS, in some tribal communities, American Indian women are murdered at more
6 than 10 times the national average; and
7 WHEREAS, Native American and Alaska Native women are at least two times more likely to
8 experience rape or sexual assault and two and one-half times more likely to experience violent
9 crimes compared to all other races, and those factors often are tied to cases involving a
10 disappearance or murder; and
11 WHEREAS, the National Crime Information Center reported 5,712 cases of missing
12 American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls in 2016, yet the United States Department
13 of Justice's federal missing persons database only logged 116 cases; and
14 WHEREAS, in 2016, North Dakota had 125 cases of Native American women and girls
15 reported missing to the National Crime Information Center, with many cases likely going
16 unreported; and
17 WHEREAS, Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, for whom the federal legislation is named, was
18 a member of the Spirit Lake Tribe and vanished when she was eight months pregnant; and
19 WHEREAS, Savanna's Act will improve tribal access to federal crime information databases
20 on missing persons and cooperation among tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement,
21 and will mandate the Attorney General consult with tribes and submit a report to Congress on
22 how to resolve the barriers tribes face;
23 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
24 NORTH DAKOTA, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
Page No. 1 19.3127.01000
 Sixty-sixth
Legislative Assembly
1 That the Sixty-sixth Legislative Assembly urges the Congress of the United States to pass
2 Savanna's Act; and
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State forward copies of this resolution
4 to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of
5 the United States Senate, and each member of the North Dakota Congressional Delegation.
Page No. 2 19.3127.01000