Six bills authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) cleared the California Assembly and are now headed to the state Senate for consideration. The measures would expand protections for crime victims, establish California Native American Day as a paid holiday for state employees, modernize missing persons investigations and formally acknowledge the state’s historic atrocities against California tribes.
“I’m proud to move forward bills to enhance law enforcement’s tools to find missing persons and protect victims from further victimization. In the almost 176 years since California became a state, we still struggle to ensure that the First People of the State still enjoy the same rights and opportunities as others. These bills acknowledge the unique role of Native Americans in this state’s history and assist in ensuring they receive the same rights and benefits extended to others,” Ramos stated.
Measures moving forward to the Senate are:
• AB 1681, Victim Notification: Protects crime victims’ rights by ensuring victims receive timely notifications about an offender’s release, parole hearings, escapes or special parole conditions. AB 1681 would eliminate the need for victims to navigate a separate and burdensome process during an already traumatic time by automatically transmitting victim notification information to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at sentencing, along with the abstract of judgment already submitted when a defendant is sentenced to state prison. Co-sponsors are the California District Attorneys Association, Orange County District Attorney’s Office and San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. Supporters also include the California Association of School Police Chiefs, California Reserve Officers, Crime Victims United, Safe Family Justice Centers and California Coalition of School Safety Professionals.
• AB 1769, Tribal Articulation: Facilitates seamless transfer of course credits for students attending tribal colleges into California’s public higher education systems. AB 1769 would direct California higher education systems to develop and implement transfer agreements to ensure students attending tribal colleges can efficiently transfer to other institutions while minimizing duplicate coursework. Table Mountain and California Indian Nations College are co-sponsors. Additional supporters include the California Teachers Association, California Tribal Business Alliance, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.
• AB 1841, California Native American Day: Designates California Native American Day as a paid holiday for all state employees, contingent upon a determination by the Department of Human Resources that sufficient funding exists to implement the change. The bill also authorizes CalHR to negotiate implementation agreements with individual bargaining units. The proposal builds on Ramos’ 2021 legislation, AB 855, which established a paid holiday for judicial employees. Sponsor is the California Native Vote Project. Other supporters include the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, California Rural Indian Health Board, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Service Employees International Union Local 1000, Wilton Rancheria, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and the Office of the Mayor for the City of San Bernardino.
• AB 1889, Criminal Protective Orders: Authorizes courts to issue criminal protective orders that remain valid for two years following a defendant’s release if the original order has expired. Criminal protective orders are commonly issued in cases involving domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault to prevent offenders from contacting victims or witnesses. The measure is intended to ensure victims receive timely notice of an offender’s release while maintaining protections during a critical transition period. Co-sponsors are the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. Supporters include the California District Attorneys Association, California State Sheriffs’ Association, Peace Officers Research Association of California, California Police Officers’ Association, American Association of University Women and several local police officer associations.
• AB 2018, California Missing Persons Program Update: Modernizes California’s Missing Persons DNA Program to reflect advances in forensic science and strengthen the California Department of Justice’s ability to resolve missing persons cases. Under the program, law enforcement agencies collect voluntary oral DNA samples from relatives of missing persons, while county coroners and law enforcement agencies submit biological samples from unidentified human remains and unidentified living persons. The DNA profiles are then compared for genetic matches that may help determine identities. Sponsor is California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The bill is also supported by the California District Attorneys Association and Riverside District Attorney’s Association.
• AB 2115, State Apology to California Native Americans: Establishes a formal apology from the California State Legislature and state courts to California Native Americans for historical policies of violence, displacement and cultural suppression. The bill would also require installation of a commemorative plaque in the State Capitol. Sponsor is the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. Supporters include the California Rural Indian Health Board Inc., California Tribal Business Alliance, CFT – A Union of Educators & Classified Professionals, AFT, AFL-CIO and Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake.
