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ACR 163

Relative to Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Dawn Addis and 67 co-sponsors

Designates May 2026 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month to raise awareness and encourage education, advocacy, and action across state and tribal communities.

In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
#missingandmurderedindigenouspeopleawarenessmonth
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Bill Summary · ACR 163

Summary of Bill: ACR 163 (2025-2026) – California Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Designates May 2026 as California’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month.
  • Aims to raise awareness of the missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis, highlight data gaps, and build momentum for education, advocacy, and policy action.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

  • Official Designation: The bill designates the month of May 2026 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month in California.
  • Recitals and Context (legislative findings): The resolution includes numerous statements about:
    • Homicide and disappearance data among American Indian and Alaska Native communities (citing CDC and FBI data, gaps in data).
    • The prevalence of violence against Indigenous women and the role of intimate partner violence.
    • Geographic distribution of homicides (urban vs. rural) and California’s large Indigenous population.
    • Related existing California policies and initiatives (e.g., Feather Alert system; annual vigils; MMIP Summit; authorities’ access to information systems; state investments in tribal policing).
  • Communications/Action: The measure directs the Legislature to recognize the awareness month and, implicitly, to encourage state agencies, tribal governments, law enforcement, and communities to participate in memorializing and addressing MMIP issues.
  • No new mandatory programs or funding authorizations are created by the text of the resolution itself (the bill references prior and ongoing related initiatives and funding elsewhere in state policy).

3) Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Indigenous communities in California, particularly families of missing and murdered Indigenous people.
  • State government and legislative bodies (recognition and endorsement).
  • State agencies, law enforcement, tribal courts, and the Department of Justice in the context of MMIP awareness and coordination with existing programs (as referenced in the bill’s recitals).
  • The public and communities statewide, through increased awareness and educational opportunities during the designated month.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Legislative Process:
    • Introduced on March 19, 2026 by Assembly Member James Ramos.
    • Referred to the Rules, then to a committee, adopted by committee on April 27, 2026, and ordered to Third Reading.
    • Action history indicates standard ceremonial resolution workflow common to Assembly Concurrent Resolutions.
  • Effective Date: As a concurrent resolution recognizing a specific awareness month, the designation takes effect for May 2026 and signals ongoing commemoration; it does not create a new, standalone program or mandatory action.
  • Related Context: The resolution references prior California actions (e.g., Feather Alert; MMIP Summit; Justice Department information-sharing measures; tribal policing investments) to situate the awareness month within an existing policy landscape.

5) Practical Takeaways

  • The bill is largely symbolic but serves to formalize awareness efforts around MMIP in California for May 2026.
  • It aligns with broader California initiatives aimed at improving data collection, interagency information sharing, and support for Indigenous communities affected by MMIP.
  • Local governments, nonprofits, and communities may leverage the designation to host events, educational campaigns, vigils, and advocacy activities during May 2026.

Sponsor: Co-sponsor James Ramos. No new funding is attached to this resolution within the text provided; related funding and programs are referenced as existing or prior actions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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