Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 2348, a bill that would revise and strengthen California’s Feather Alert — a notification alert system similar to the AMBER and Silver alerts — by requiring law enforcement agencies to respond within 24 hours of a request, and allowing tribal governments to directly communicate with the California Highway Patrol.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) authored the original bill, AB 1314, that created the alert system to notify the public when Indigenous people are missing in 2022.
“In the almost two years since the Feather Alert was activated, we have learned that the process can be streamlined and made more accessible to tribal communities,” Ramos said.
Since the Feather Alert took effect, tribal communities made five requests from tribal communities, but the California Highway Patrol, in consultation with local law enforcement, granted activation in two instances.
Of the two approved alerts, only one missing individual was found.
AB 2348 would further streamline the process for activating the Feather Alert and remove ambiguity in the process of requesting the alert activation.
The proposed changes would provide tribal governments with a pathway to directly communicate with CHP, as long as certain criteria are met with local law enforcement within 24 hours.
“AB 2348 will be a helpful tool in getting Feather Alerts activated quicker,” Ramos said. “The 24-hour window of determination by our law enforcement partners will help to determine the direction our tribal partners and their family can take in regards to their missing family members. Earlier this year, the Assembly reviewed the effectiveness of this important tool one year after its enactment, and listened to tribal members and law enforcement. We are committed to ensuring that this life-saving notification system works effectively and easily for families worried about missing loved ones.”
Changes to notification alert system used to find missing Native Americans signed into law
- Lake County News reports
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