Senate Bill 23-054 Summary

• Expands duties of the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives to conduct comprehensive reviews of sentencing in violent and exploitative crimes against Indigenous persons and publish annual reports on findings.

• Establishes a designated point-of-contact employee in the office to assist families of missing or murdered Indigenous relatives with case information, connections to law enforcement and victim services, and access to community resources.

• Authorizes office personnel to inspect criminal justice, correctional, detention, medical, coroner, and laboratory records necessary for office duties, with confidentiality protections and limited exceptions for family members after five years or confirmed deaths.

• Creates a 24/7 dedicated phone line through the state fusion center to connect callers with appropriate contacts at the office or Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

• Appropriates $191,973 to the Department of Public Safety and $170,601 to the Judicial Department for the 2023-24 fiscal year to implement the expanded office functions and phone line operations.