Montana State Legislature
2021-2022 State-Tribal Relations Committee
Next Scheduled Meeting:
The committee has finished its work for the interim. Information on the committee's work can be found using the tabs to the left.
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Committee Staff:
Pad McCracken, Research Analyst
Laura Sankey Keip, Attorney
Bethany McDowell James, Secretary
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.
Committee Members
September 9, 2022: Agenda- Minutes Log - Audio/ Video
July 27, 2022: Agenda - Minutes Log - Video
July 26, 2022 (Meeting with Crow Agency Tribal Members): Agenda - Minutes Log - Video(11:52:55 - Meeting with Crow Agency begins in video)
July 26, 2022 (Meeting with Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council): Agenda - Minutes Log - Video
May 5, 2022: Agenda- Minutes Log - Audio/ Video
April 7, 2022: Agenda- Minutes Log - Video
April 6, 2022: Agenda- Minutes Log - Video
January 14, 2022: Agenda- Minutes Log - Audio/ Video
January 13, 2022: Agenda- Minutes Log - Audio/ Video
October 7, 2021: Agenda - Minutes Log - Video
October 8, 2021: Agenda - Minutes Log - Video
July 22, 2021: Agenda - Minutes Log - Audio / Video (sound begins at 20:50)
July 23, 2021: Agenda - Minutes Log - Audio (no video available)
Committee Selected Studies
Other topics
Indian Country programs: one-time-only funding and termination dates (Oct 2021)
Redistricting update (Oct 2021)
Indian Law and Treaty Basics (January 2022)
- Sovereignty, Treaties, and Taxes (Heather Cahoon slides)
- Tribal Nations in Montana: A Handbook for Legislators, 2020
Postsecondary education updates (OCHE slides, January 2022)
COVID-related funding to tribes (LFD memo, January 2022)
Montana Coal Endowment Program overview (Commerce, January 2022)
Decennial report under 90-1-105(7), MCA
- Staff memo - relevant statutes (January 2022)
- Commerce slides (January 2022)
- Decennial report memo/options (April 2022)
- Provisional bill draft, PD 25 (May 2022)
- Decennial report memo and bill draft PD 25 (July 2022)
Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission update
Missing Indigenous Persons
- HB 35 (2021; Stewart Peregoy)
- Department of Justice update (January 2022)
- Missing Indigenous Person handout (staff; May 2022)
- Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force 2022 Report (July 2022)
Recreational marijuana (HB 701) implementation
- Recreational marijuana (HB 701) implementation update (LSD info, January 2022)
- Recreational marijuana HB 701 implementation update handouts (Erin Sullivan, EAIC staff; May 2022)
Fort Belknap Water Compact (background provided for April 2022)
- One-page background (LSD, 2020)
- 2021 S. 1911 at-a-glance (FBIC)
- 2021 S. 1911 executive summary (FBIC)
Indian Boarding Schools and Generational Trauma (May 2022)
- Indian Boarding Schools (Marsha Small slides)
- Historical and Generational Trauma (Lona Running Wolf slides)
Education
- IEFA one-pager (OPI; May 2022)
- Tribal Relations and Resiliency brochure (OPI; May 2022)
Montana Women's Prison (slides; May 2022)
HJ 39 Update (Sue O'Connell, CFHHS staff; May 2022)
Resources and publications
- Summary of 2021 legislation impacting state-tribal relations and Indian country
- Tribal Nations in Montana: A Handbook for Legislators, 2020
Committee Bill Drafts
- LC 343 (was PD 17) - Revise and extend Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force
- LC 361 (was PD 18) - Resolution urging Congress to fully fund law enforcement in Indian Country
- LC 362 (was PD 37) - Establish missing persons response team training grant program
- LC 363 (was PD 38) - Request interim study on missing youth
- LC 364 (was PD 25) - Revising laws related to Indian affairs and economic development
Work plan(as adopted Jan 14, 2022)
Work plan outline (Oct 2021)