The State-Tribal Relations Committee (STRC) elected new leadership and established a work plan at its first meeting of the 2019-2020 interim. On August 26, the committee elected Senator Jason Small (R-Busby) as chair and Representative Rae Peppers (D-Lame Deer) as vice chair.

The STRC also opted to allocate a majority of its time to studying barriers to American Indian voting and improving communication between state child protective services and tribes in order to reduce the number of American Indian children in foster care. The committee will also investigate reasons youth repeatedly runaway and opportunities to improve reservation highway maintenance.

In addition, the STRC will learn about:

-Treaty rights and classification of tribal lands;
-Prescribing rates for opioids to American Indian patients and supportive housing models for addicts;
-Implementation of peer support services pursuant to Senate Bill 30 (2019); and
-the Uniform Commercial Code and obstacles to lending and business startups within reservations.

The committee used its first meeting to tour the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and get an update on implementation of a suite of missing persons legislation that the committee helped pass in the 2019 session.

In addition to Chair Small and Vice Chair Peppers, members of the STRC include Representatives Jade Bahr (D-Billings); Alan Doane (R-Bloomfield); Dale Mortensen (R-Billings); Joe Read (R-Ronan); and Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D-Crow Agency); as well as Senators Jen Gross (D-Billings); Dan Salomon (R-Ronan); and Frank Smith (D-Poplar).

The committee next meets on November 11 and 12 in Billings. It will also hold a brief conference call (time and date TBD) in September to discuss sending a letter to the BIA and FBI asking the agencies to fully participate in Montana's Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force.

For more information on the committee’s activities and upcoming meetings, visit the committee’s website or contact Hope Stockwell, committee staff. A full agenda and meeting materials will be posted approximately two weeks in advance of each meeting.

Committee Website: www.leg.mt.gov/tribal
Committee Staff: hstockwell@mt.gov or 406-444-9280