Montana State Legislature
2019-2020 State-Tribal Relations
Next Scheduled Meeting:
The STRC conducted its last meeting of the interim on August 24.
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
The STRC's 2019-2020 interim concluded August 24.
Sign up for Email Notifications
About the Committee
The State-Tribal Relations Committee acts as a liaison with tribal governments in Montana, encourages state-tribal and local government-tribal cooperation, conducts interim studies as assigned, and may propose legislation and report its activities, findings, or recommendations to the legislature.
The committee's work plan outlines how it will carry out its statutory duties and assigned study. It also identifies the topics which the committee, as well as the tribal governments which the committee visits this interim, have prioritized for discussion.
Committee Members
Committee Staff:
Hope Stockwell, Lead Staff
Laura Sankey Keip, Attorney
Laura Sherley, Secretary
Committee rules, as adopted August 26, 2019
Committee chair history
State-tribal relations related legislative summary, 2019
Tribal Nations in Montana: A Handbook for Legislators, 2020
August 26, 2019: Agenda - Minutes Log - Video/ Audio
September 16, 2019 (conference call): Agenda - Minutes Log - Audio
September 27, 2019 (conference call): Agenda - Minutes Log - Video
November 2019 (Billings, MT): Agenda
- November 11: Minutes Log - Video/ Audio
- November 12: Minutes Log - Video/ Audio
March 2020: Agenda
- March 5: Minutes Log - Video/ Audio
- March 6: Minutes Log - Video/ Audio
May 2020: Agenda
- May 6: Minutes Log - Video/Audio
- May 7: Minutes Log - Video/Audio
- May 8: Minutes Log - Video/Audio
June 2020: Agenda
- June 24: Minutes Log - Video/Audio
- June 25: Minutes Log - Video/Audio
- June 26: Minutes Log - Video/Audio
August 24, 2020 (Video Conference): Agenda - Minutes Log - Video/ Audio
Studies
I) Barriers to American Indian voting -
final report
-HJR 10
-
Voting Basics, LSD
-
Election Directive #01-2015, SOS
-General election, 2018, SOS
Polling place locations within reservation boundaries by county
Satellite office locations within reservation boundaries by county
-
Voter ID Requirements, LSD
-
Agency-based Registration, LSD
-
Information about plus codes from http://plus.codes
-
Updated voter registration form, Secretary of State
-
Rosebud County primary summary, Joan Duffield
-
Turnout review, Indian People's Action
-
draft letter to SOS to encourage voters to verify mailing addresses
II) Improving communication between CPS and tribes -
final report
-
ICWA Questions Answered, LSD
-Other states' initial hearing timelines, LSD
-Training related materials:
CFSD safety model field guide;
Immediate danger assessment;
Family functioning assessment
-CFSD data:
- caseload, April 2020
- comparison of reports and substantiations: March/April 2019 and 2020
- caseload, November 2020
-CFSD - principles and practice model
III) Roadway maintenance within reservation boundaries
-Overview, LSD
-HB 426, 2019
-HB 82, 2019,
summary
-
Fort Belknap highway funding, LSD
-County Road Maintenance on Tribal Land
Memo, LSD
- regarding distribution of certain highway funds
IV) Runaway youth -
final report
-
Statistics On homeless youth enrolled in public school in MT, National Center for Homeless Education
-Follow up on potential legislative proposals brought up in March 2020
- Summary of state statutes allowing minors to consent to shelter
- Summary of state statutes allowing minors to enter contracts for shelter
-YRBS question - North Dakota question example
Other Topics
Treaty rights
-
FWP memo re:
U.S. Supreme Court decision in Herrera v. Wyoming
Missing persons
-
March 2020 update on implementation of 2019 legislation, DOJ
-
Missing persons data analysis, DOJ, May 2020
-
Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force report, DOJ, September 2020
-
STRC Action Report
Census 2020 Complete Count Committee
-
membership
-
work plan
-
Indian Country flyer
-self response rate by county
Correspondence
-
letter to BIA/FBI re: participation in Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force
-
letter in support of S 1279
-
letter re: public comment process for Keystone XL pipeline DSEIS
-
letter re: implementation of the missing persons-related legislation enacted in 2019
-
letter to the editor re: tribal COVID-19 restrictions
-
letter in support of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Settlement Act of 2019;
Fort Belknap water compact and settlement background, LSD
-
letter urging USDA regulation flexibility for small meat processors
-
letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue re: meat processing regulations
-
letter to tribal leaders regarding the decennial report on economic contributions of reservations in Montana
-
letter to Secretary of State and county election administrators re: mailing addresses
-
letter re: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Water Compact
At its last meeting of the interim, the STRC adopted the following bill drafts as committee legislation and finalized its reports for its four major studies. Contact hstockwell@mt.gov or 406-444-9280 with any questions.
The proposals are related to:
-
motor carrier services authority on reservations ( PD0007TH) (LC 305, 2021)
-
Fort Belknap requested legislation regarding distribution of certain highway funds (LC 295, 2021)
-
federal recognition of the Little Shell ( PD0001) (LC 291, 2021)
-
HJR 48/49-1a - creating a 5 business day emergency hearing requirement when a child is removed from their home (joint legislation with the Children and Families Committee) (LC 342, 2021)
-
runaway youth:
-
PD0006 - authorizes minors to consent to no cost emergency shelter and services (LC 292, 2021)
-
PD0007HS - establishes graduation requirements for youth who've experienced homelessness or been in foster care, the juvenile justice system, or have experienced a medical or mental health crisis (LC 293, 2021)
-
PD0014 - clarifying that minors' ability to disaffirm contracts for housing is restricted (LC 294, 2021)
-
-
missing persons
-
PD0008 - establishing a missing persons review commission (LC 296, 2021)
-
PD0010 - establishing a missing persons response team training grant program (LC 297, 2021)
-
PD0011 - extending the Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force (LC 298, 2021)
-
PD0012 - extending the Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force and the Looping in Native Communities grant program (LC 299, 2021)
-
State Tribal Economic Development Commission biennial report, August 2020
Update on decennial reservation economic impact report, Bureau of Business and Economic Research, August 2020
Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force report, DOJ, August 2020