Expressing support for the designation of December 16, 2024, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls".

Bill: 118-hres-1593
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
Introduced: 2024-11-21
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2024-11-21
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1593 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 21, 2024 Ms. Omar (for herself and Mr. Burchett ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of December 16, 2024, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls .

Whereas, according to the National Crime Information Center, in 2023, of the 280,031 girls and women reported missing, 103,079, or nearly 37 percent, were Black, while Black girls and women make up only 15 percent of the female population in the United States; Whereas Black women have the highest rates of death due to homicide among women, and these murders are statistically shown to be most often committed by an intimate partner or someone the victim knows; Whereas, currently, there are more than 14,000 active missing person records for Black women and girls in the United States; Whereas notable cases such as that of Brittany Clardy, an 18-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, who was found murdered in February 2013, highlight the urgent need for increased attention and resources dedicated to missing and murdered Black women and girls; Whereas, in 2023, the Brittany Clardy Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Act was introduced to establish a dedicated unit within the Department of Justice to help solve cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls; Whereas the current local, State, and Federal funding available could be enhanced and coordinated to better address the basic, emergency, and long-term service needs of victims and their families; and Whereas December 16 should be commemorated as a day to honor the memory of missing and murdered Black women and girls, raise public awareness about this ongoing crisis, and reaffirm our national commitment to seeking justice and supporting affected families and communities: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) expresses support for the designation of a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls ; (2) calls on the people of the United States and interest groups to— (A) commemorate the lives of missing and murdered Black women and girls whose cases are documented and undocumented in public records and the media; and (B) demonstrate solidarity with the families of victims in light of those tragedies; (3) recommends a study on missing and murdered Black women and girls to ensure up-to-date and in-depth statistics are made public regarding the current state of this crisis; (4) calls for resources to be allocated for prevention, investigation, and support services related to missing and murdered Black women and girls; (5) encourages collaboration between Federal and local law enforcement agencies in order to share and evaluate best practices and policies regarding the handling of cases involving missing and murdered Black women and girls; and (6) supports community-based and victim assistance organizations working to raise awareness and provide support for families affected by this issue.