A State Senate subcommittee has approved several bills aimed at improving safety for tribal members and offering child protection measures.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos’s legislation ranging from children and youth to public safety and tribes cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense file on Thursday.
The approved measures will be voted on by the full Senate by the close of session on Aug. 31.
Senate Appropriations approved the following bills:
AB 2108, the Luke Madrigal Act, requires a county social worker or probation officer to immediately notify parents or legal guardians, attorneys for parents, court-appointed special advocates, the court of jurisdiction and others when they receive information that children receiving child welfare services, including non-minor dependents, are missing from foster care. The Yurok Tribe, California Tribal Families Coalition and Alliance for Children’s Rights are sponsors.
AB 2711 would ensure that students who voluntarily disclose their substance use to school officials for purposes of seeking assistance will not be suspended. Sponsors are the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, California Alliance of Child and Family Services and California Youth Empowerment Network and Children Now.
AB 2138 creates a three-year pilot program allowing tribal governments under specified conditions to grant their law enforcement officers peace officer status. Sponsors are the Yurok Tribe and California Indian Legal Services.
AB 2695 requires the Department of Justice to collect and disaggregate data on crimes occurring on Indian lands and report that information to the California Department of Justice as part of its efforts to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis. Sponsor is California Attorney General Rob Bonta. It is also supported by the Cahuilla Band of Indians and California Tribal Business Alliance.
Also moving out of the Senate Appropriations Committee is AB 1284, which would allow California’s federally recognized tribes to enter into co-governance and co-management agreements with the California Natural Resources Agency. Sponsors are the Resighini Rancheria and the Tolwa Dee-ni' Nation.
Ramos bills currently on the Senate floor include AB 81, which seeks to safeguard existing state statutes protecting Indian children, families and the rights of tribes in child welfare cases by making changes throughout various code sections regarding placement of children in Indian child welfare cases. Official sponsors are the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the California Tribal Families Coalition.
There also is AB 1821, which would require California schools, when teaching about the Spanish Colonization and Gold Rush Eras, to teach the true history of the treatment and perspectives of California Native Americans during those periods. It would also require that the Instructional Quality Commission consider including the content in the curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for instructional materials. Sponsors are the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
In addition, AB 3276 would ratify the tribal-state gaming compact between the State of California and the Tule River Indian Tribe of California executed on June 25, 2024. Sponsor is the Tule River Indian Tribe of California.
Measures already heading to the governor’s desk are AB 1863, which would make changes to the Feather Alert, a public notification system operated by the California Highway Patrol when Native Americans are missing. The changes would streamline the process and require the CHP to state why a notification request is not enacted. Sponsors are the Bear River of the Rohnerville Rancheria, Pechanga Band of Mission Indians and the Yurok Tribe.
Also, AB 2948 that would include a final order of adoption issued by a tribal court as a qualifying circumstance for a child to receive Adoption Assistance Program benefits.
Ramos, who represents the 45th Assembly district, is the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature.
Youth, education and public safety bills move forward after key fiscal committee hearing
- Lake County News reports
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