Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives
| Published date | 02 December 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 66059 |
| Record Number | 2019-26178 |
| Section | Presidential Documents |
| Court | Executive Office Of The President |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 231 (Monday, December 2, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 66059-66061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26178]
[[Page 66057]]
Vol. 84
Monday,
No. 231
December 2, 2019
Part IIThe President-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Order 13898--Establishing the Task Force on Missing and
Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2019 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 66059]]
Executive Order 13898 of November 26, 2019
Establishing the Task Force on Missing and
Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, and in order to enhance the operation of the
criminal justice system and address the legitimate
concerns of American Indian and Alaska Native
communities regarding missing and murdered people--
particularly missing and murdered indigenous women and
girls--it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose. My Administration has heard the
ongoing and serious concerns of tribal governments
regarding missing and murdered members of American
Indian and Alaska Native communities, particularly
women and girls. To address the severity of those
concerns, top officials within the Federal Government
will coordinate and engage with the tribal governments.
Sec. 2. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established
the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians
and Alaska Natives (Task Force), co-chaired by the
Attorney General and the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary) or their designees.
(b) The Department of Justice shall provide funding
and administrative support as may be necessary for the
performance and functions of the Task Force. The
Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary,
shall designate an official of the Department of
Justice to serve as the Executive Director of the Task
Force, responsible for coordinating its day-to-day
functions. As necessary and appropriate, the Co-Chairs
may afford the other members of the Task Force an
opportunity to provide input into the decision of whom
to designate as the Executive Director.
Sec. 3. Membership. (a) In addition to the Co-Chairs,
the Task Force shall be composed wholly of full-time,
or permanent part-time, officers or employees of the
Federal Government and shall include the following
members:
(i) the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(ii) the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the
Interior;
(iii) the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, Department of
Justice;
(iv) the Director of the Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Department of the Interior;
(v) the Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney
General's Advisory Committee;
(vi) the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans,
Department of Health and Human Services; and
(vii) such representatives of other executive departments, agencies, and
offices as the Co-Chairs may, from time to time, designate.
(b) In performing the functions set forth in
sections 4 and 5 of this order, the Co-Chairs and
members may designate representatives of their
respective departments, agencies, offices, or entities
under their direction to participate in the Task Force
as necessary, and the Co-Chairs may also direct
coordination with other Presidential task forces. In
carrying out its functions, the Task Force shall
coordinate with appropriate White House officials,
including the Senior Counselor to the President, the
Assistant
[[Page 66060]]
to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Deputy
Assistant to the President and Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs.
Sec. 4. Mission and Functions. (a) The Task Force
shall:
(i) conduct appropriate consultations with tribal governments on the scope
and nature of the issues regarding missing and murdered American Indians
and Alaska Natives;
(ii) develop model protocols and procedures to apply to new and unsolved
cases of missing or murdered persons in American Indian and Alaska Native
communities, including best practices for:
(A) improving the way law enforcement investigators and prosecutors
respond to the high volume of such cases, and to the investigative
challenges that might be presented in cases involving female victims;
(B) collecting and sharing data among various jurisdictions and law
enforcement agencies; and
(C) better use of existing criminal databases, such as the National
Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), the National Crime
Information Center (NCIC), and the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
including the National DNA Index System (NDIS);
(iii) establish a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team including
representatives from tribal law enforcement and the Departments of Justice
and the Interior to review cold cases involving missing and murdered
American Indians and Alaska Natives;
(iv) address the need for greater clarity concerning roles, authorities,
and jurisdiction throughout the lifecycle of cases involving missing and
murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives by:
(A) developing and publishing best-practices guidance for use by Federal,
State, local, and tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing and
murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, to include best practices
related to communication with affected families from initiation of an
investigation through case resolution or closure;
(B) facilitating formal agreements or arrangements among Federal, State,
local, and tribal law enforcement to promote maximally cooperative, trauma-
informed responses to cases involving missing and murdered American Indians
and Alaska Natives;
(C) developing and executing an education and outreach campaign for
communities that are most affected by crime against American Indians and
Alaska Natives to identify and reduce such crime; and
(D) developing, in partnership with NamUs, a public-awareness campaign to
educate both rural and urban communities about the needs of affected
families and resources that are both needed and available.
Sec. 5. Reporting. (a) No later than 1 year after the
date of this order, the Task Force shall develop and
submit to the President, through the Assistant to the
President for Domestic Policy, a written report
regarding the activities and accomplishments of the
Task Force, the status of projects the Task Force has
not yet completed, and specific recommendations for
future action of the Task Force.
(b) No later than 2 years after the date of this
order, the Task Force shall develop and submit to the
President, through the Assistant to the President for
Domestic Policy, a final written report regarding the
activities and accomplishments of the Task Force.
Sec. 6. Termination. The Task Force shall terminate 2
years after the date of this order, unless otherwise
directed by the President.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
[[Page 66061]]
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
November 26, 2019.
[FR Doc. 2019-26178
Filed 11-29-19; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P
