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Bill would create Missing Indigenous Persons task force, requests $250,000 to build data and coordination
Summary
House Bill 1199 would establish a task force chaired by the attorney general to centralize data, improve interagency coordination and provide culturally relevant responses to missing Indigenous persons; the sponsor requested $250,000 for setup and multi-year funding through 2035 in his testimony.
Representative Austin Schauer presented House Bill 1199 as amended, a proposal to create a Missing Indigenous Persons (MIP) task force in North Dakota and to appropriate $250,000 for the next biennium with funding to continue through 2035 for consistency. The bill would place the attorney general as task force chair, include tribal representatives and the Department of Public Instruction superintendent among membership, and require quarterly meetings or more frequently as needed.
Why it matters: Testimony cited national and state data to show Indigenous communities face disproportionate rates of violence and disappearance. The sponsor and other presenters said disconnected data systems, jurisdictional complexity among tribal, state and federal law enforcement, and limited resources complicate investigations. Committee members described emotional testimony from families at prior hearings and emphasized the need for a centralized data system, improved agency collaboration and culturally appropriate engagement.
What the bill would do: - Create a centralized data system for tracking missing Indigenous persons across tribal, state and federal jurisdictions for real-time case visibility. - Mandate improved communication and streamlined processes among tribal nations, local law enforcement, and state agencies to reduce investigative delays. - Ensure cultural relevance by including tribal leaders in policy decisions and task force staffing. - Fund public awareness and law enforcement training initiatives. - Provide the attorney general’s office authority to chair the task force; the Department of Public Instruction superintendent is listed for school-related cases.
Budget and implementation questions raised in committee: - The sponsor asked for $250,000 in the next biennium and noted ongoing funding through 2035 in the bill text, but committee members reminded the body that future legislatures determine appropriations and cannot be bound indefinitely. - Members asked whether tribes would be expected to contribute financially; the sponsor said the committee did not discuss tribal contributions because it intended the state to lead the effort, though tribes’ interest and participation were acknowledged. - Representative Murphy and others asked why federal law enforcement (FBI, U.S. Marshals) were not explicitly listed; presenters said federal involvement typically follows a crime referral and that initial purpose of the bill is to improve state-tribal coordination and data-sharing. Senator Richard Marcella and other tribal representatives emphasized prior tribal-state meetings and family testimony documenting unresolved cases.
Quotations (from transcript): - "The statistics are startling ... more than 9,500 indigenous persons were reported missing nationwide in 2020," Schauer said, citing NCIC data; he also cited a CDC finding that Indigenous women are murdered at more than 10 times the national average. - "We need funding for the task force ... Families testified, they were crying at that meeting ... they don't want to testify again," Senator Richard Marcella said, recounting tribal testimony at prior meetings.
Action status: HB 1199 was presented to Appropriations after receiving discussion in the Government and Veterans Affairs committee; no recorded Appropriations vote appears in the provided transcript. Committee members asked for clarifications on AG participation, tribal contributions, and whether federal partners should be designated in the task force membership.
Ending note: Sponsors characterized the bill as an urgent, solution-oriented measure to improve investigations and restore trust. Committee members asked for additional detail on implementation costs and federal involvement before a final committee recommendation.
