Relative to Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month.
Summary
ACR 39 is a nonbinding legislative resolution that designates May 2025 as California’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month. The resolution frames the designation as a response to the disproportionate rates of homicide, domestic violence, and disappearances affecting Native American and Alaska Native communities, and it cites federal and academic reports describing the scale of the crisis, including the number of missing persons reports and the limited quality of available data.
The measure also highlights California-specific context, including the state’s large American Indian population, the annual Capitol candlelight vigils, the Yurok Tribe’s MMIP Summit, and prior state actions such as the Feather Alert and expanded tribal access to law-enforcement information systems. It does not create a new regulatory program, funding source, or enforcement mechanism; instead, it formally recognizes the issue and directs the Assembly Chief Clerk to transmit copies of the resolution for distribution.
Impact
Because ACR 39 is a concurrent resolution, it does not amend the California Codes or impose new statutory duties on agencies, tribes, or local governments. Its practical effect is symbolic and commemorative: it officially names May 2025 as an awareness month and reinforces existing state efforts related to missing Indigenous persons, public awareness, and coordination between tribal and law enforcement entities. The resolution was chaptered as Resolution Chapter 60, Statutes of 2025.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received broad, bipartisan support and little visible opposition. Its vote history shows unanimous or near-unanimous approval at each stage, including consent calendar and concurrence votes, suggesting strong agreement with the resolution’s purpose and the underlying concern about missing and murdered Indigenous people. The tone of the bill text is solemn and advocacy-oriented, emphasizing remembrance, awareness, and action.
Contention
No major policy dispute is evident in the bill text or voting record. The resolution is largely ceremonial, so there was little room for disagreement over implementation or costs. The main substantive issue raised is the broader crisis itself: incomplete data, high rates of violence, and the need for better coordination and awareness. The bill’s references to prior measures like the Feather Alert and tribal law-enforcement information access suggest support for existing response tools rather than controversy over new ones.
A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2026, as "National
Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls".
A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2025, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls".