House Bill 545 revises laws related to missing and murdered Indigenous persons in Montana by renaming the existing "missing persons task force" to the "missing and murdered indigenous persons advisory council." This council will be supported administratively by the Department of Justice and will include representatives from various agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes, and a homicide investigator. The council's primary responsibilities will involve identifying jurisdictional barriers, recommending strategies to reduce cases of missing and murdered Indigenous persons, and enhancing interagency communication.

The bill also establishes a "looping in native communities network grant program" to assist tribal efforts in identifying and reporting missing Native American persons, with both competitive and noncompetitive grants available for tribal entities. Furthermore, the council is tasked with preparing annual reports on the status of missing Indigenous persons and the effectiveness of the network. The legislation aims to improve transparency and accountability in reporting, ensuring timely access to critical information for informed decision-making by the legislature.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(1): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(2): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(3): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(4): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(5): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(6): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1(7): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_1: 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_2(1): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_2(2): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_2(3): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_2(4): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_2: 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X(1): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X(2): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X(3): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X(4): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X(5): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X(6): 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412
HB0545_X: 5-11-222, 44-2-411, 44-2-412