The Ebony Alert bill, aimed at raising awareness when Black youth and women go missing in California, has gained approval from state legislation. Gov. Gavin Newsom must sign the bill to become law.
The legislation was introduced this past March in the State Senate first by Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat for District 35. Sen. Bradford represents communities in the wider Los Angeles area and is vice chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. In a statement regarding his authorship of the proposed legislation, Bradford said the bill would allocate the necessary “resources and attention” to bring Black missing women and children back home safely. The bill, SB 673, would create the Ebony Alert to ramp up efforts to save lives.
The bill proposes that the designated alerts be issued for Black youth and women up to 25 years of age based on reasons such as “unexplained or suspicious circumstances, at risk, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired or who have been abducted.”
The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference also supported the legislative bill, calling the increased number of missing Black women and girls an “epidemic.”
“Black women and girls are at increased risk of harm and make up a disproportionate percentage of all missing people,” expressed Rick Callender, president of the organization. “The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference considers [missing] Black women and girls an epidemic and necessary for its own safety alert.”
Bradford shared the latest update on the passing of the legislation on X, formerly Twitter, where he noted that it is now in the hands of Gov. Newsom to make the groundbreaking law official.
So proud to share that my #EbonyAlert legislation is now on the @CAGovernor‘s desk after passing the #CALeg with bipartisan support. This bill will help bring home missing Black youth & young women up to age 25 who rarely receive adequate attention. #SB673https://t.co/oXSZNLWng9
— Senator Steven Bradford (@SenBradfordCA) September 18, 2023
Gov. Newsom, however, has not explicitly stated whether or not he will sign off on the bill, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A spokesperson on behalf of his offices released a statement that read, “We don’t typically comment on pending legislation, and each bill will be evaluated on its merits.”
The governor is expected todeciden soon, as he must sign the bill into law by Oct. 14.
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