Panel concurs on House Bill 83 to open state account for Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force

Representative Tyson Running Wolf (House District 16) presented House Bill 83 to create a state special revenue account for the Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force with a $1 initial appropriation and authority to accept gifts, grants and donations. "The Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force...brought forth a great recommendation to create a special revenue account," Running Wolf said in his opening.

Dana Tool, special services bureau chief at the Montana Department of Justice, explained that the task force has no mechanism to accept unsolicited grants or private donations, and that a special revenue account would let the task force receive and use funds for searches, prevention, training and equipment. Tribal leaders and organizations — including the Montana American Indian Caucus, Blackfeet, Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy representatives — testified in support and described search costs and operational needs.

Jade Barr of the Montana Budget and Policy Center and other advocates framed the bill as consistent with prior legislative responses to missing and murdered Indigenous people and said the account would enable the task force to seek foundation and federal grant funding and manage allowable costs under DOJ oversight.

The committee concurred in HB83. Witnesses said the account will enable tribes and the task force to accept outside funding and relieve pressure on state general funds for targeted MMIP activities.