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Committee approves amendment and advances bill to create Missing Indigenous Task Force with $250,000 request
Summary
The Appropriations — Education and Environment Division voted to add an "or designee" clause to House Bill 1199 and voted to advance the bill as amended. HB1199 seeks $250,000 to establish a task force to address missing Indigenous people and to support awareness, coordination and related measures including use of a proposed "feather alert."
Representative Dawson Hawley, who identified himself as representing District 31, told the committee House Bill 1199 would create a Missing Indigenous Task Force and requested $250,000 to fund awareness, coordination and related measures.
“For the record, my name is Dawson Hawley, and I represent District 31. So house bill 11 99 is the creation of a missing indigenous task force,” Hawley said, describing goals that include an awareness campaign, coordination with a proposed Feather Alert system and improving communications on remote reservations.
Stephen Horstead, chief agent with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in the Office of the Attorney General, asked the committee to add language allowing the attorney general to name a designee to chair the task force. Horstead described the requested change as an insertion on page 3, line 22 to “add a designee for the attorney general to chair the task force created in this bill.”
A committee member moved the amendment to add “or designee” to the language; Vice President Ojens seconded. Committee members voted in favor. The clerk recorded aye votes from Chairman Swoback, Senator Connolly, Senator Thomas, Senator Shibley and Senator Meyer; the amendment carried.
Later in the same meeting the committee moved that HB1199 “do pass” as amended. The committee again recorded aye votes from the attending members and the motion carried. Committee leadership said the bill will be carried to the full committee; Senator Shibley volunteered to carry the bill forward.
Hawley told the panel the requested funds would be used at the task force's direction for public awareness, clarifying protocols for searches on and off tribal lands, and to support improvements in cell service and partnerships in remote reservation areas. He said the funding would also help implement the Feather Alert if that separate measure becomes law.
The committee did not reference a statutory citation during discussion. The bill as described in testimony would create a task force, appropriate $250,000 and permit the attorney general or the attorney general's designee to chair the group.
Committee members asked procedural and budgetary questions during discussion but did not alter the dollar amount in the floor discussion recorded in the transcript.
