Bill > HB1137

This bill modifies the existing law regarding the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation by removing requirements related to federal funding and grants. Specifically, the bill eliminates language mandating the Bureau to obtain federal funding by January 1, 2022, and removes provisions requiring the Bureau to seek and apply for federal grants or coordinate with private entities for funding. Despite these changes, the bill maintains the Bureau's responsibility to create an Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, which will continue to have critical functions such as working with law enforcement agencies, developing best practices for responding to missing persons reports involving American Indian individuals, assisting families in using resources like the National Missing and Unidentized Persons System (NamUs), providing guidance to victims' families, coordinating training and education efforts, and consulting with community organizations serving indigenous populations. The bill will become effective on November 1, 2025, and ensures that the office's core mission of addressing missing and murdered indigenous persons remains intact, even without the previous federal funding requirements.

Budget and Finance, Justice

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb1137&Session=2600