Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently signed legislation that will establish a missing persons office and an annual event to connect family members with resources.
The Office of the Governor said in a release that Senate Bill 12 will establish a Missing Persons Specialist position; its purpose is to assist in the investigation and prosecution of missing person cases that involve indigenous people.
“New Mexico is taking action to bring together critical resources for families of our missing and murdered indigenous neighbors, helping to deliver justice for victims, bring their loved ones closure, and prevent these tragedies from happening to families," Gov. Lujan Grisham said, according to the release. “While these measures will not on their own bring an end to this crisis, they are important tools in our continued fight to deliver answers to families across the state and hold those responsible accountable. I thank the members of New Mexico’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) task force for their continued dedication to identifying solutions and delivering answers.”
Senate Bill 13 will establish a "Missing in New Mexico" day, which will bring different levels of government together in one location to connect with the families of missing persons. Officials will provide resources such as "filing and updating missing persons reports, submitting DNA records, and meeting with investigators," the release said.
“The families of New Mexico’s missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives have long deserved our attention and assistance,” State Sen. Linda Lopez (D-Bernalillo) said, according to the release. “I was pleased to see both measures that were recommended by the MMIWR Task Force receive such overwhelming support in the legislature and want to thank Governor Lujan Grisham for establishing the task force in 2019 and for signing these important bills today. This collaborative partnership and associated resources will help solve cases and bring justice to victims and their families.”