S. 336 – Studying the Missing and Murdered Indian Crisis Act of 2019

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:22 AM UTC

The bill requires the U.S. Comptroller General to produce a comprehensive report on how federal, state, local, and tribal law‑enforcement agencies handle reports of missing or murdered American Indians. The report must be delivered within one year to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources. It aims to identify gaps, improve coordination, and suggest ways to reduce such cases. The bill primarily affects law‑enforcement agencies, tribal authorities, and Indian communities.

Key Provisions

Directs the Comptroller General to submit a detailed report within one year of enactment.
Requires the report to review jurisdiction, response procedures, and policies of all law‑enforcement agencies handling missing or murdered Indian cases, including the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Mandates assessment of major databases (e.g., NCIC, CODIS) and public notification systems used for these cases.
Calls for analysis of inter‑agency cooperation, notification requirements to state, local, and tribal agencies, and public alert practices.
Includes recommendations for best practices, improving database and notification system integration, addressing social and economic factors, and proposing legislation to lower the risk of missing or murdered Indian incidents.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

February 5, 2019

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 5, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

February 5, 2019

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued February 5, 2019

II

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 336

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 5, 2019

Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

A BILL

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the response of law enforcement agencies to reports of missing or murdered Indians.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Studying the Missing and Murdered Indian Crisis Act of 2019.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Covered database

The term covered database means—

(A)

the database of the National Crime Information Center;

(B)

the Combined DNA Index System;

(C)

the Next Generation Identification System; and

(D)

any other database or system of a law enforcement agency under which a report of a missing or murdered Indian may be submitted, including—

(i)

the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program; or

(ii)

the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

(2)

Indian

The term Indian has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

(3)

Indian country

The term Indian country has the meaning given the term in section 1151 of title 18, United States Code.

(4)

Law enforcement agency

The term law enforcement agency means a Federal, State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agency.

(5)

Missing or murdered Indian

The term missing or murdered Indian means any Indian who is—

(A)

reported missing in Indian country or any other location; or

(B)

murdered in Indian country or any other location.

(6)

Notification System

The term notification system means—

(A)

the Criminal Justice Information Network;

(B)

the AMBER Alert communications network established under subtitle A of title III of the PROTECT Act (34 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.); and

(C)

any other system or public notification system that relates to a report of a missing or murdered Indian, including any State, local, or Tribal notification system.

3.

Report

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a comprehensive report that includes—

(1)

a review of—

(A)

each law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over missing or murdered Indians and the basis for that jurisdiction;

(B)

the response procedures, with respect to a report of a missing or murdered Indian, of—

(i)

the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(ii)

the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and

(iii)

any other Federal law enforcement agency responsible for responding to or investigating a report of a missing or murdered Indian;

(C)

each covered database and notification system;

(D)

Federal interagency cooperation and notification policies and procedures related to missing or murdered Indians;

(E)

the requirements of each Federal law enforcement agency relating to notifying State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agencies after the Federal law enforcement agency receives a report of a missing or murdered Indian; and

(F)

the public notification requirements of law enforcement agencies relating to missing or murdered Indians;

(2)

recommendations and best practices relating to improving cooperation between and response policies of law enforcement agencies relating to missing and murdered Indians; and

(3)

recommendations relating to—

(A)

improving how—

(i)

covered databases address instances of missing or murdered Indians, including by improving access to, integrating, and improving the sharing of information between covered databases; and

(ii)

notification systems address instances of missing or murdered Indians, including by improving access to, integrating, and improving the sharing of information between notification systems;

(B)

social, educational, economic, and any other factor that may contribute to an Indian becoming a missing or murdered Indian; and

(C)

legislation to reduce the likelihood that an Indian may become a missing or murdered Indian.