102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3988

 

Introduced 3/4/2021, by Rep. Kambium Buckner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Task Force on Missing and Murdered Chicago Women Act. Creates the Task Force on Missing and Murdered Chicago Women. Provides for the composition of the Task Force and its appointment and meetings. Provides that the Task Force must examine and report on the following: (1) the systemic causes behind violence that Chicago women and girls experience, including patterns and underlying factors that explain why disproportionately high levels of violence occur against Chicago women and girls, including underlying historical, social, economic, institutional, and cultural factors that may contribute to the violence; (2) appropriate methods for tracking and collecting data on violence against Chicago women and girls, including data on missing and murdered Chicago women and girls; (3) policies and institutions such as policing, child welfare, medical examiner practices, and other governmental practices that impact violence against Chicago women and girls and the investigation and prosecution of crimes of gender-related violence against Chicago residents; (4) measures necessary to address and reduce violence against Chicago women and girls; and (5) measures to help victims, victims' families, and victims' communities prevent and heal from violence that occurs against Chicago women and girls. Provides that the Task Force shall report annually to the General Assembly and the Governor on the work of the Task Force.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning missing and murdered Chicago women.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Task
5Force on Missing and Murdered Chicago Women Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Director" means the Director of the Illinois State
8Police.
9    "Nongovernmental organization" means a nonprofit,
10nongovernmental organization that provides legal, social, or
11other community services.
12    "Task Force" means the Task Force on Missing and Murdered
13Chicago Women.
 
14    Section 10. Task Force on Missing and Murdered Chicago
15Women.
16    (a) The Director of the Illinois State Police, in
17consultation with the Chicago Police Superintendent, shall
18appoint the non-legislative members to the Task Force on
19Missing and Murdered Chicago Women to advise the Director and
20the Chicago Police Superintendent and to report to the General
21Assembly on recommendations to reduce and end violence against
22Chicago women and girls. The Task Force may also serve as a

 

 

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1liaison between the Director, the Chicago Police
2Superintendent, and agencies and nongovernmental organizations
3that provide services to victims, victims' families, and
4victims' communities. Task Force members shall serve without
5compensation but may, subject to appropriation, receive
6reimbursement for their expenses as members of the Task Force.
7    (b) There is created the Task Force on Missing and
8Murdered Chicago Women, which shall consist of the following
9individuals, or their designees, who are knowledgeable in
10crime victims' rights or violence protection and, unless
11otherwise specified, members shall be appointed for 2-year
12terms as follows:
13        (1) Two members of the Senate, one appointed by the
14    President of the Senate and one appointed by the Minority
15    Leader of the Senate.
16        (2) Two members of the House of Representatives, one
17    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
18    and one appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
19    Representatives.
20        (3) Two members from among the following appointed by
21    the Director:
22            (A) an association representing Illinois chiefs of
23        police;
24            (B) an association representing Illinois sheriffs;
25            (C) an officer who is employed by the Illinois
26        State Police; or

 

 

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1            (D) an Illinois peace officer's association.
2        (4) One or more representatives from among the
3    following:
4            (A) an association representing State's Attorneys;
5            (B) an attorney representing the United States
6        Attorney's Office in Chicago; or
7            (C) a circuit judge, associate judge, or attorney
8        working in juvenile court;
9            (D) the Cook County Medical Examiner, or his or
10        her designee, or a representative from a statewide
11        coroner's or medical examiner's association or a
12        representative of the Department of Public Health;
13        (5) Two representatives for victims, with a focus on
14    individuals who work with victims of violence or their
15    families appointed by the Director; and
16        (6) Four or more members from among the following
17    appointed by the Director:
18            (A) a statewide or local organization that
19        provides legal services to Chicago women and girls;
20            (B) a statewide or local organization that
21        provides advocacy or counseling for Chicago women and
22        girls who have been victims of violence;
23            (C) a statewide or local organization that
24        provides healthcare services to Chicago women and
25        girls;
26            (D) a statewide organization that represents women

 

 

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1        and girls who have been sexually assaulted;
2            (E) a women's health organization or agency; or
3            (F) a Chicago woman who is a survivor of
4        gender-related violence.
5    (c) Vacancies in Director-appointed positions shall be
6filled by the Director consistent with the qualifications of
7the vacating member required by this Section.
8    (d) Task Force members shall annually elect a chair and
9vice-chair from among the Task Force's members, and may elect
10other officers as necessary. The Task Force shall meet at
11least quarterly, or upon the call of its chair, and may hold
12meetings throughout the City of Chicago. The Task Force shall
13meet frequently enough to accomplish the tasks identified in
14this Section. Meetings of the Task Force are subject to the
15Open Meetings Act. The Task Force shall seek out and enlist the
16cooperation and assistance of nongovernmental organizations,
17community, and advocacy organizations working with the Chicago
18community, and academic researchers and experts, specifically
19those specializing in violence against Chicago women and
20girls, representing diverse communities disproportionately
21affected by violence against women and girls, or focusing on
22issues related to gender-related violence and violence against
23Chicago women and girls.
24    (e) The Director shall convene the first meeting of the
25Task Force no later than 30 days after the appointment of a
26majority of the members of the Task Force. The Illinois State

 

 

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1Police shall provide meeting space and administrative
2assistance as necessary for the Task Force to conduct its
3work.
4    (f) The Task Force must examine and report on the
5following:
6        (1) the systemic causes behind violence that Chicago
7    women and girls experience, including patterns and
8    underlying factors that explain why disproportionately
9    high levels of violence occur against Chicago women and
10    girls, including underlying historical, social, economic,
11    institutional, and cultural factors that may contribute to
12    the violence;
13        (2) appropriate methods for tracking and collecting
14    data on violence against Chicago women and girls,
15    including data on missing and murdered Chicago women and
16    girls;
17        (3) policies and institutions such as policing, child
18    welfare, medical examiner practices, and other
19    governmental practices that impact violence against
20    Chicago women and girls and the investigation and
21    prosecution of crimes of gender-related violence against
22    Chicago residents;
23        (4) measures necessary to address and reduce violence
24    against Chicago women and girls; and
25        (5) measures to help victims, victims' families, and
26    victims' communities prevent and heal from violence that

 

 

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1    occurs against Chicago women and girls.
2    (g) The Task Force shall report on or before December 31 of
32021, and on or before December 31 of each year thereafter, to
4the General Assembly and the Governor on the work of the Task
5Force, including but not limited to, the issues to be examined
6in subsection (g), and shall include in the annual report
7recommendations regarding institutional policies and practices
8or proposed institutional policies and practices that are
9effective in reducing gender-related violence and increasing
10the safety of Chicago women and girls. The report shall
11include recommendations to reduce and end violence against
12Chicago women and girls and help victims and communities heal
13from gender-related violence and violence against Chicago
14women and girls.