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Senate Judiciary advances MMIP advisory-council bill to improve coordination on missing and murdered Indigenous persons
Summary
HB545 would convert Montana's Missing Indigenous Person Task Force into an advisory council, add homicide investigators to membership, expand reporting requirements, and aims to improve multi‑jurisdictional coordination. Committee concurred on an amendment and passed the bill out of committee.
Representative Tyson Running Wolf, sponsor of House Bill 545, told the Senate Judiciary Committee the bill builds on prior legislation to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP). He said HB545 creates new reporting sections, converts the task force to an advisory council, replaces a Montana Highway Patrol seat with a homicide investigator, and strengthens recommendations to tribes and federal agencies.
Running Wolf described stark disparities: “In Montana, Native Americans make up roughly 31% of the missing persons cases but account for less than 7% of the state's population,” and noted that many reported missing persons were minors. He said the bill carries no direct new funding ($0) and is intended to improve coordination and long‑term policy response.
Alan Doane of the Montana Department of Justice, who currently chairs the Missing Indigenous Person Task Force, said the task force would transition to an advisory council and urged a due pass, particularly for the coordination language in the offered amendment. Tribal representatives and advocates (including Patrick Yawaki, Bridal Frost, Dean Bearclaw, and Kelson Young) described cases and data illustrating jurisdictional barriers and urged support.
The committee voted on an amendment (coordination language) by voice, the amendment passed, and the committee concurred on HB545 as amended. Senator Newman volunteered to carry HB545 to the floor.
Next steps: HB545 was concurred in by the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be carried to the floor for further consideration.
