The bill, AB-1314, is being proposed by Highland assemblymember James Ramos and would create a system that would alert the public and media when a native American person has gone missing.
"The rates of murdered and missing people in Native American communities... it's a shameful state and national tragedy that does not receive the scrutiny and attention it deserves," said assemblymember James Ramos.
Ramos is calling the proposed program 'Feather Alert' and said creating a notification alert system was a top recommendation by several California tribal leaders during a May state assembly committee hearing.
The program would be through the California Highway Patrol and be similar to the statewide Amber Alert system. Ramos added that he hopes the bill will bring further attention to the issue and help end violence on tribal lands across California.
According to a report by the Sovereign Bodies Institute, only 9% of indigenous women murdered cases in California have ever been solved. The 'Feather Alert' bill is now being processed and will next be heard by the state senate appropriations committee.
