Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Amendments

10
26B-1-231
0
Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Angela Romero
Senate Sponsor: David P. Hinkins
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill enacts provisions for the training for resources related to the murder and
disappearance of an indigenous individual.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
requires that the Office of American Indian-Alaska Native Health and Family Services
(office) create a curriculum for training related to the investigation of a murder or
disappearance of an indigenous individual;
provides the requirements for what the curriculum the office develops shall contain;
provides that the office may coordinate with certain persons when developing the
curriculum; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
26B-1-231
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 305
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
26B-1-231
is amended to read:
26B-1-231
. Office of American Indian-Alaska Native Health and Family
Services -- Creation -- Director -- Purpose -- Duties.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Director" means the director of the office appointed under Subsection
(3)
.
(b)
"Missing or murdered indigenous individual" means an individual of tribal origin
who has gone missing or is murdered.
(b)
(c)
"Office" means the Office of American Indian-Alaska Native Health and Family
Services created in Subsection
(2)
.
(d)
"Peace officer" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53-1-102
.
(2)
There is created within the department the Office of American Indian-Alaska Native
Health and Family Services.
(3)
The executive director shall appoint a director of the office who:
(a)
has a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college;
(b)
is experienced in administration; and
(c)
is knowledgeable about the areas of American Indian-Alaska Native practices.
(4)
(a)
The director is the administrative head of the office and shall serve under the
supervision of the executive director.
(b)
The executive director may hire staff as necessary to carry out the duties of the office
described in Subsection
(5)(b)
.
(5)
(a)
The purpose of the office is to oversee and coordinate department services for
Utah's American Indian-Alaska Native populations.
(b)
The office shall:
(i)
oversee and coordinate department services for Utah's American Indian-Alaska
Native populations;
(ii)
conduct regular and meaningful consultation with Indian tribes when there is a
proposed department action that has an impact on an Indian tribe as a sovereign
entity;
(iii)
monitor agreements between the department and Utah's American Indian-Alaska
Native populations;
and
(iv)
oversee the health liaison appointed under Section
26B-1-232
and ICWA liaison
appointed under Section
26B-1-233
.
;
(v)
create a training curriculum designed for a peace officer conducting an
investigation of a missing or murdered indigenous individual that covers:
(A)
methods that a peace officer may use to gather accurate and complete
information relating to the race, ethnicity, and tribal affiliation of a missing or
murdered indigenous individual;
(B)
principles of tribal sovereignty and how the principles relate to an
investigation into the disappearance or murder of a missing or murdered
indigenous individual;
(C)
federal, state, and tribal laws that relate to an investigation into the
disappearance or murder of a missing or murdered indigenous individual;
(D)
methods of coordination with family members of a missing or murdered
indigenous individual during the investigation into the disappearance or murder
of the missing or murdered indigenous individual; and
(E)
best practices for interviewing family members of a missing or murdered
indigenous individual during the investigation into the disappearance or murder
of the missing or murdered indigenous individual; and
(vi)
at least once every three years, review and update the curriculum described in
Subsection
(5)(b)(v)
.
(c)
The office may coordinate with universities, non-profit organizations, and any other
person with subject-matter expertise relating to the curriculum described in
Subsection
(5)(b)(v)
to develop the curriculum described in Subsection
(5)(b)(v)
.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-20-26 8:28 AM