Senate committee advances bill to create Turquoise Alert for missing American Indian people

Senate lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 41 on a procedural vote Tuesday after lengthy public testimony and discussion about gaps in searching for missing Native people.

The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Angel Charlie, would establish a Turquoise Alert system to rapidly disseminate information when an American Indian person is reported missing. "This morning we bring before you Senate Bill 41, which mandates the creation of the Turquoise Alert System," Charlie told the committee.

The measure's backers said the alert is modeled on existing systems such as Amber and Silver alerts but would be tailored to the needs of tribal and rural communities. Jo Zetman, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs, told the committee the alert would allow information to be shared "as quickly as possible" and cited the state's 2022 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) state response plan as a foundation for the effort.

Family members and tribal leaders delivered impassioned testimony. Bernadette Hardy recounted multiple relatives lost to violence and said, "This is not normal to have to have this much loss in our communities." Becky Martinez, who said her brother has been missing since 2019, asked lawmakers to pass the bill, saying families "are still searching for him."

Advocacy and tribal organizations also endorsed the bill. Ryder Heron of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women said the alert would improve visibility for underreported cases and reduce the burden on families who currently try to coordinate searches on their own. Several Pueblos, tribal police chiefs and the New Mexico State Police indicated support for the concept while noting technical or fiscal amendments they would like to work through.

Committee members questioned whether the bill should place detailed implementation language in statute or leave rulemaking to the Department of Public Safety. Senator Solis suggested a shorter statutory directive requiring the department to promulgate rules; sponsor Charlie said the statutory language is intended to create accountability and a uniform approach across multiple jurisdictions. Jo Zetman confirmed the bill mirrors some existing alert statutes (cited in committee as 29-15-3.2 and related sections) used for other statewide alerts.

After discussion of technical edits and pending amendments to improve coordination with the Department of Public Safety and tribal law enforcement, the committee approved a motion to move the bill without recommendation (no rec) so it can proceed to the next committee for further work. The motion was made on the record to allow additional amendments before final action.

The bill drew extended public comment describing jurisdictional and resource challenges on reservations, the need for training and equipment for tribal search-and-rescue, and the importance of quick public notification in the first hours after someone is reported missing. Supporters pointed to other states' experiences; the department noted Washington activated its missing Indigenous persons alert 94 times in its first 21 months and located 80 people where alerts were used.

Sponsor Charlie and supporters said the statute would create a uniform statewide mechanism for alerts while allowing Departments of Public Safety and Indian Affairs to refine implementation details through rulemaking and intergovernmental agreements. The committee record shows continued technical coordination between the bill sponsor, Indian Affairs and DPS will continue as the bill moves forward.