1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
3 HOUSE BILL 2733 By: Pittman
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6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to missing and murdered indigenous
persons; creating Ida's Law; directing the Oklahoma
8 State Bureau of Investigation to coordinate with the
United States Attorney's Office and Department of
9 Justice; directing Bureau to pursue federal funding;
directing Bureau to create Office of Liaison for
10 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons; requiring
Office to include a missing persons specialist
11 subject to funding; providing requirements of
position; directing Office to work with law
12 enforcement agencies; requiring Office to develop
best practices protocol; directing Office to assist
13 with use of resources and to provide certain
guidance; requiring Office to coordinate with other
14 agencies; directing Office to facilitate trainings;
providing for noncodification; providing for
15 codification; and providing an effective date.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
19 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
20 codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
21 This act shall be known and may be cited as "Ida's Law".
22 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
23 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 150.12A-1 of Title 74, unless
24 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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1 A. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall coordinate
2 with the United States Attorney's Office and the United States
3 Department of Justice to obtain federal funding by January 1, 2023,
4 to coordinate efforts and gather data to address the issue of
5 missing and murdered indigenous persons in the State of Oklahoma.
6 The Bureau shall seek and apply for any applicable federal grants
7 and may coordinate with private entities to obtain funding or
8 fulfill grant requirements.
9 B. Upon securing federal funding, the Bureau shall create an
10 Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. Any
11 individual hired within the Office shall have significant experience
12 working with tribal communities. Subject to available funding, the
13 Office shall include a missing persons specialist.
14 C. The Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous
15 Persons shall:
16 1. Work with state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies
17 on missing persons and homicide cases involving American Indian
18 individuals;
19 2. Develop a best practices protocol for law enforcement
20 response to missing persons reports involving American Indian
21 individuals;
22 3. Assist families, tribal agencies and nongovernmental
23 entities in using the National Missing and Unidentified Persons
24 System (NamUs) and other resources;
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1 4. Provide guidance to victims' families with navigating state
2 and federal district court cases;
3 5. Coordinate with other state offices including, but not
4 limited to, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, agency tribal
5 liaisons and the Secretary of Native American Affairs to develop
6 training and education on missing and murdered indigenous persons
7 issues and the state-tribal government-to-government relationship;
8 6. Facilitate trainings for law enforcement and members of the
9 public on issues relating to missing and murdered indigenous
10 persons; and
11 7. Consult with community organizations that serve indigenous
12 populations to promote community relations and develop best
13 practices.
14 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
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16 58-1-6219 CMA 12/18/20
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