Feather Alert bill advances
A state bill that would expand the criteria for activating an emergency notification system for missing Native Americans recently passed the Assembly's emergency management committee.
Assembly Bill 1863, sponsored by the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria, the Yurok Tribe and the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians, would require the California Highway Patrol to respond to a Feather Alert activation within 48 hours and, if they deny an application, issue their explanation within the same time period.
“Since the inception of the Feather Alert, there have been 5 requests with 3 of them denied. As the law is currently drafted, there is some ambiguity around activation criteria and reporting the incident to the appropriate entities. It is critical that we get the Feather Alert right, and make it work for California tribes,” said the argument in support of the bill out of the committee's analysis.
Assemblymember James Ramos, who also authored the original Feather Alert bill that was enacted a year ago, touted this new bill as a potentially life-saving tool for Native American, who as a demographic suffer from a relatively high rate of missing and murdered victims.
“The Feather Alert is a tool to enlist the public's assistance when a Native American might be at peril. Earlier this year, the Assembly reviewed the effectiveness of this important tool one year after it began, 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,” Ramos said