Committee approves DOJ study on missing and murdered Indigenous people, refers bill to Ways and Means

The House Committee on Judiciary on Feb. 10 adopted a replacement dash-1 amendment to House Bill 3198 and voted to refer the bill to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Under the amended measure, the Department of Justice would study missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) and report findings to the Legislative Assembly interim committee related to public safety no later than Sept. 15, 2026. The dash-1 amendment, which replaced the original measure, also directs the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to dedicate staff to MMIP work; enumerated responsibilities for the dedicated staff include victim services and outreach, development of interagency agreements with tribal governments, maintaining data on missing and murdered Indigenous people in the state, and collaborating with representatives of the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon to implement community education and youth engagement initiatives.

The presenter said there is a fiscal attached to the dash-1 amendment and that if the amendment is adopted the bill would need a subsequent referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Committee members adopted the amendment on a roll call vote and then voted to recommend the bill to the floor and to refer it to Ways and Means.

Representative Mannix, after the committee vote, urged colleagues to press Ways and Means on the importance of the legislation and to encourage the Oregon Health Authority to work with recognized tribes on the project.

“...I certainly hope, and I know that these referrals to Ways and Means could end up going into a deep, dark pool, and I hope that all of us will mention to our colleagues on Ways and Means the importance of this legislation,” Representative Mannix said.

The committee rolled and the clerk announced the motions passed; the panel formally referred HB 3198, as amended, to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.