By September 1, 2019, the commissioner, in consultation with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, shall appoint members to the Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women to advise the commissioner and report to the legislature on recommendations to reduce and end violence against indigenous women and girls in Minnesota, including members of the two spirit community. The task force may also serve as a liaison between the commissioner and agencies and nongovernmental organizations that provide services to victims, victims' families, and victims' communities. Task force members may receive expense reimbursement as specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 6.
The Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women must examine and report on the following:
- the systemic causes behind violence that indigenous women and girls experience, including patterns and underlying factors that explain why disproportionately high levels of violence occur against indigenous women and girls, including underlying historical, social, economic, institutional, and cultural factors which may contribute to the violence;
- appropriate methods for tracking and collecting data on violence against indigenous women and girls, including data on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls;
- policies and institutions such as policing, child welfare, coroner practices, and other governmental practices that impact violence against indigenous women and girls and the investigation and prosecution of crimes of gender violence against indigenous people;
- measures necessary to address and reduce violence against indigenous women and girls; and
- measures to help victims, victims' families, and victims' communities prevent and heal from violence that occurs against indigenous women and girls.
The task force shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over public safety, human services, and state government on the work of the task force, including but not limited to the issues to be examined in subdivision 1, and shall include in the report institutional policies and practices or proposed institutional policies and practices that are effective in reducing gender violence and increasing the safety of indigenous women and girls. The report shall include recommendations to reduce and end violence against indigenous women and girls and help victims and communities heal from gender violence and violence against indigenous women and girls. The report shall be submitted to the legislative committees by December 15, 2020.