CSHB 234 Summary

• Requires police officer certification to include cultural training supervised by an indigenous coordinator or entity related to addressing missing and murdered indigenous persons.

• Mandates law enforcement agencies submit missing person reports to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System within 30 days and provide medical/dental records and DNA samples to that system.

• Establishes the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Review Commission with 9 members to review unresolved cases, examine trends, and make recommendations; commission must submit findings report by January 1, 2027.

• Requires the Department of Public Safety to employ at least four investigators dedicated to missing and murdered indigenous persons cases and act as liaisons with law enforcement, communities, and federally recognized tribes.

• Directs the Department of Public Safety to conduct a needs assessment by January 1, 2026, on increasing investigative resources and partnerships for missing and murdered indigenous persons cases.