HRES-1257-119
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsored by Dan Newhouse (R-WA)
What it does
This resolution would express the House of Representatives' support for designating May 5, 2026, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls." It would call on Americans and interested groups to commemorate victims and show solidarity with their families. It would also recommend that the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice commission a new study with updated statistics on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, noting that nine years have passed since the agency's last major study in 2016.
Who benefits
American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and girls, and their families, who would receive formal congressional recognition of the crisis affecting their communities. Tribal communities broadly, who may see increased public awareness. Advocacy organizations working on this issue, who could use the designation to draw attention and resources. Researchers and law enforcement agencies who would benefit from an updated DOJ study with more current data.
Who is hurt
This is a non-binding commemorative resolution with no direct regulatory or fiscal effect, so no group faces a direct material harm. Federal agencies, particularly the DOJ's National Institute of Justice, could face increased pressure or workload if the recommended study is pursued, though the resolution does not mandate or fund it.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the scale of violence against Indigenous women and girls constitutes a documented public health crisis demanding national recognition: CDC data cited in the resolution shows homicide rates more than 10 times the national average for American Indian and Alaska Native women under 44, and 5,614 Indigenous women and girls were reported missing in 2024 alone. They contend that a formal awareness day, combined with a call for updated federal research, would help close a critical data gap — the last major NIJ study is now nine years old — and sustain momentum behind existing laws like Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act.
Opponents argue
Opponents could argue that a non-binding resolution without accompanying funding or enforcement mechanisms offers symbolic recognition without substantive change, and that the resources spent on a new NIJ study would be better directed toward implementing the 2023 Not Invisible Act Commission's existing recommendations, which have not yet been fully acted upon. They may also contend that awareness designations have proliferated to the point of diminishing impact, and that the resolution does not address the underlying jurisdictional complexities — overlapping tribal, state, and federal authority — that advocates identify as a core barrier to solving these cases.