01-07 16:02 H.B. 125
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Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Angela Romero
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LONG TITLE
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General Description:
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This bill reestablishes the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Task Force.
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Highlighted Provisions:
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This bill:
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▸ defines terms;
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▸ reestablishes the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Task Force, with the
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membership consisting of nine members from government and community organizations;
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▸ requires that any vacancy in the task force be filled in the same manner as the original
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appointment;
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▸ designates the appointees from the Senate and House of Representatives as the cochairs
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of the task force;
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▸ establishes that a quorum of the task force consists of five members and that majority
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action of the quorum is required for task force decisions;
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▸ establishes compensation requirements for both legislator members and non-legislator
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members of the task force;
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▸ requires that the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel provide staff
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support to the task force;
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▸ provides for the responsibilities of the task force;
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▸ provides that the task force must report its findings to the Law Enforcement and Criminal
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Justice Interim Committee; and
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▸ provides for the repeal of the task force.
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Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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None
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Other Special Clauses:
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None
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Utah Code Sections Affected:
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AMENDS:
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63I-2-236, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Third Special Session, Chapter 5 H.B. 125 01-07 16:02
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ENACTS:
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36-29-107.6, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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Section 1. Section 36-29-107.6 is enacted to read:
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36-29-107.6 . Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Task Force -- Creation
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-- Membership -- Quorum -- Compensation -- Staff -- Vacancies -- Duties -- Interim
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report.
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(1) As used in this section, "task force" means the Murdered and Missing Indigenous
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Relatives Task Force created in Subsection (2).
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(2) There is created the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Task Force consisting
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of the following nine members:
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(a) one member of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate;
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(b) one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
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of Representatives;
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(c) the following three members, appointed jointly by the president of the Senate and the
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speaker of the House of Representatives:
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(i) a member of a nonprofit organization primarily serving Utah's Native American
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community;
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(ii) a representative of a Utah Native American tribe; and
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(iii) a representative of a victim advocate organization servicing Utah's Native
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American population;
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(d) the director of the Division of Indian Affairs, or the director's designee;
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(e) the executive director of the Department of Health and Human Services, or the
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executive director's designee;
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(f) the attorney general, or the attorney general's designee; and
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(g) the commissioner of public safety for the Department of Public Safety, or the
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commissioner's designee.
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(3) A vacancy in a position appointed under Subsection (2)(a), (b), or (c) shall be filled by
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appointing a replacement member in the same manner as the member creating the
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vacancy was appointed under Subsection (2)(a), (b), or (c).
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(4)(a) The member of the Senate appointed under Subsection (2)(a) is a cochair of the
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task force.
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(b) The member of the House of Representatives appointed under Subsection (2)(b) is a
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cochair of the task force.
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(5)(a) A quorum consists of five members.
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(b) The action of a majority of a quorum constitutes an action of the task force.
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(6)(a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall
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be paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5,
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Chapter 3, Legislator Compensation.
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(b) A member of the task force who is not a legislator:
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(i) may not receive compensation or benefits for the member's service associated with
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the task force; and
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(ii) may receive per diem and travel expenses incurred as a member of the task force
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at the rates the Division of Finance establishes in accordance with:
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(A) Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107; and
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(B) rules the Division of Finance makes in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3,
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Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to carry out the provisions of Sections
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63A-1-106 and 63A-3-107.
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(7) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
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the task force.
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(8) The task force shall:
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(a) conduct appropriate consultations with tribal governments on the scope and nature of
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the issues regarding murdered and missing indigenous individuals;
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(b) develop model protocols and procedures to apply to new and unsolved cases of
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murdered or missing indigenous individuals, including the best practices for:
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(i) improving the way law enforcement investigators and prosecutors respond to the
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high volume of the cases and to the investigative challenges that might be
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presented in cases involving female victims;
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(ii) collecting and sharing data among various jurisdictions and law enforcement
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agencies; and
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(iii) better using existing criminal databases;
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(c) seek input from multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional persons, including
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representatives from tribal law enforcement and federal agencies, about how to
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review cold cases involving murdered and missing indigenous individuals; and
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(d) address the need for greater clarity concerning roles, authorities, and jurisdiction
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throughout the life cycle of cases involving murdered and missing indigenous
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individuals, by discussing:
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(i) best practices in cases involving murdered and missing indigenous individuals,
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including best practices related to communication with affected families from
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initiation of an investigation through case resolution or closure; and
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(ii) education programs and outreach campaigns to communities that are most
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affected by crime resulting in murdered and missing indigenous individuals, that
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help to identify and reduce the crime that results in murdered and missing
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indigenous individuals.
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(9)(a) On or before September 30, 2026, the task force shall provide a report to the Law
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Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee.
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(b) The report described in Subsection (9)(a) shall include a summary of the task force's
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findings under Subsection (8) and recommendations for improvements to the
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criminal justice and social service systems for preventing and addressing crimes
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involving murdered and missing indigenous individuals in the state.
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Section 2. Section 63I-2-236 is amended to read:
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63I-2-236 . Repeal dates: Title 36.
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(1) Section 36-12-8.2, Medical cannabis governance structure working group, is repealed
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July 1, 2025.
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(2) Section 36-29-107.5, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Task Force --
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Creation -- Membership -- Quorum -- Compensation -- Staff -- Vacancies -- Duties --
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Interim report, is repealed November 30, 2024.
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(3) Section 36-29-107.6, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Task Force --
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Creation -- Membership -- Quorum -- Compensation -- Staff -- Vacancies -- Duties --
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Interim Report, is repealed July 1, 2027.
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[(3)] (4) Section 36-29-109, Utah Broadband Center Advisory Commission, is repealed
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November 30, 2027.
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[(4)] (5) Section 36-29-110, Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force, is repealed
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November 30, 2024.
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Section 3. Effective date.
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This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
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