HI HB1357

Establishes a Missing Indigenous Person Alert program within the Department of Law Enforcement to rapidly disseminate information when indigenous persons (Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Alaskan, or First Nations) go missing under suspicious circumstances

Requires activation when a missing indigenous person is believed to be with a dangerous person or in peril, including domestic violence situations, and the investigating agency has exhausted local resources

Authorizes use of be-on-the-lookout alerts, electronic flyers, changeable message signs (when a vehicle is involved), and the Wireless Emergency Alerts System to notify the public

Cites that 77% of Hawaii's publicly reported missing persons cases from 2020-2022 were female and 84% were Native Hawaiian, with disproportionate representation among sex trafficking victims

Appropriates an unspecified sum for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to implement the program, effective July 1, 2025