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Committee considers renaming and strengthening Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons advisory body
Summary
House Bill 5 45 would rename the Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force to a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Advisory Council, add murdered to its scope, include homicide investigators and federal agencies, and require tribal notifications. Tribal leaders and advocates supported the bill as clarifying and improving multi-jurisdictional coordination.
Representative Shelly Fyant presented House Bill 5 45 to revise the Montana Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force's name, membership and duties. The bill adds "murdered" to the name, replaces a Montana Highway Patrol seat with a homicide investigator, adds applicable federal agencies to improve coordination, and requires notifications to tribal governments for missing persons matters.
Proponents included tribal representatives and advocacy organizations. Patrick Yawaki (representing the Blackfeet, Fort Belknap and Chippewa Cree tribes) said adding "murdered" and a homicide investigator will help marshal multi-jurisdictional investigative resources. Allen Doane (Montana Department of Justice, current presiding officer of the MMIP Task Force) said the group functions more as an advisory council than a search-and-rescue strike force and supported renaming for clarity. Western Native Voices, Northern Plains Resource Council and domestic-violence coalition representatives also testified in favor.
Questions centered on how the homicide investigator role would be filled (advisory appointment from any agency with relevant expertise) and whether HB 83 funding and other grant work would require coordination with the bill's authorities. Witnesses said the appointments would be advisory and that coordination language would be needed with existing funding bills.
The committee closed the hearing with proponents urging a do-pass recommendation.
