HB 22-1327

HB 22-1327 is a Colorado bill that establishes a research program within the state historical society (History Colorado) to investigate and document the abuse and deaths at federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado. The bill requires History Colorado to work with Native American tribes, including the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, to gather information about these schools and their impacts on families and communities. It also mandates that a final report be submitted by June 30, 2023, followed by recommendations for healing and understanding. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Human Services to vacate and potentially sell or transfer property formerly used as an Indian boarding school after identifying any student graves and developing a plan with tribal governments to acknowledge past abuses. The bill has been signed into law, meaning it is now active and its provisions are being implemented.

Official Summary

The act establishes the federal Indian boarding school research program (research program) in the state historical society, known as history Colorado, to research and make recommendations to promote Coloradans' understanding of the physical and emotional abuse and deaths that occurred at federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado, including the victimization of families of youth forced to attend the boarding schools and the intergenerational impacts of the abuse. In addition to consultation with the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe described in the act, history Colorado shall consult with the Colorado commission of Indian affairs (commission) and may consult with any other federally recognized Indian tribe. As part of the research program, the act requires history Colorado to research events, abuse, and deaths that occurred at the federal Indian boarding school at Fort Lewis, which was known as the Fort Lewis Indian school. History Colorado may enter into an agreement with a third party to conduct parts of the research. History Colorado is required to provide the commission, Southern Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe with periodic updates about its research and is required to deliver a final report to the commission, Southern Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe by June 30, 2023. The act requires history Colorado, after delivering its final report, to facilitate consultation with the commission, the Southern Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to develop recommendations necessary to better understand the abuse and victimization that occurred at, and is related to, federal Indian boarding schools and to support healing in tribal communities. History Colorado must make the recommendations publicly available. The department of human services (department) owns and operates a regional center on the property that was formerly the Teller institute federal Indian boarding school. The act requires the department to vacate the property and sell all or a portion of the property, or transfer all or a portion of the property, to a state institution of higher education, a local government, a state agency, or a federally recognized tribe in Colorado. The department is not permitted to sell or transfer the property until after the identification and mapping of any graves of students buried at the federal Indian boarding school that was located on the property and until after the department develops a plan, in consultation with tribal governments, to acknowledge the abuse and victimization of students and families related to the operation of the school. The act appropriates $618,611 from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by history Colorado for the research program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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