44-2-411. (Temporary) Missing indigenous persons task force -- membership -- duties. (1) There is a missing indigenous persons task force. The task force is allocated to the department of justice for staffing services and administrative purposes only.

(2) Task force members, including the presiding officer, must be appointed by the attorney general or a designee of the attorney general. The task force membership must include but is not limited to:

(a) an employee of the department of justice who has expertise in the subject of missing persons;

(b) a representative from each tribal government located on the seven Montana reservations and the Little Shell Chippewa tribe;

(c) a member from the Montana highway patrol; and

(d) a representative from the attorney general's office.

(3) While respecting the government-to-government relationship between the state and each tribe, the primary duties of the task force are to:

(a) administer the looping in native communities network grant program provided for in 44-2-412; and

(b) (i) identify jurisdictional barriers between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community agencies; and

(ii) work to identify strategies to improve interagency communication, cooperation, and collaboration to remove jurisdictional barriers and increase reporting and investigation of missing indigenous persons.

(4) (a) The task force members must be appointed within 60 days after May 8, 2019. A vacancy on the task force must be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

(b) The task force shall develop and finalize the looping in native communities network grant application and award criteria no later than October 15, 2019.

(c) The task force shall select the recipient of the looping in native communities network competitive grant under 44-2-412(2) and disburse the grant funds no later than March 15, 2020.

(d) The task force must select eligible grantees and disburse funds for any grants awarded pursuant to 44-2-412(3) by June 30, 2020.

(e) The task force shall convene at least one meeting with tribal and local law enforcement agencies, federally recognized tribes, and urban Indian organizations for the purposes of subsection (3)(b) and to determine the scope of the problem of missing indigenous women and children.

(f) The task force shall prepare a written report of findings and recommendations for submission to the state-tribal relations interim committee provided for in 5-5-229, no later than September 1, 2020. The report must include a recommendation to the 67th legislature as to whether the task force should continue in existence. (Terminates June 30, 2021--sec. 8, Ch. 373, L. 2019.)

History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 373, L. 2019.