Sec. 904. Standardized protocols for responding to cases of missing and murdered Indians
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Not later than 90 days after the consultation process described in section 903(b)(1), the Attorney General, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior and in consultation with Indian Tribes, shall— review existing (as of the date of the review) law enforcement and justice protocols appropriate to missing and murdered Indians; and recommend such existing protocols, revise such existing protocols, or develop new protocols, as necessary, to establish protocols to serve as guidelines for law enforcement agencies with respect to missing and murdered Indians. The Attorney General shall make the protocols under paragraph
(1)publicly available and shall distribute them to law enforcement agencies. The standardized protocols under subsection
(a)shall include the following: Guidance on inter-jurisdictional cooperation among law enforcement agencies at the Tribal, Federal, State, and local levels. Standards on the collection, reporting, and analysis of data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains appropriate to Indians, including standards on entering information to Federal databases on missing persons within a certain timeframe after receiving the missing persons report. Guidance on improving law enforcement response rates and follow-up to cases of missing and murdered Indians. Methods to ensure access to victim services for Indian victims and their families. Not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this title, the Attorney General shall direct United States attorneys with jurisdiction to prosecute crimes in Indian country under sections 1152 and 1153 of title 18, United States Code, to develop written standard protocols to investigate cases of missing and murdered Indians that— are guided by the standardized protocols under subsection (a); are developed in consultation with Indian Tribes and other Federal partners, including— the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of the Interior; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and the Indian Health Service; detail specific responsibilities of each Federal partner; and shall be implemented not later than 60 days after the direction is issued. Not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this title, the Attorney General shall direct United States attorneys with jurisdiction to prosecute crimes in Indian Country from an authority other than section 1152 or 1153 of title 18, United States Code, to discuss the Federal response to cases of missing and murdered Indians with their Tribal partners and Federal partners as appropriate during annual consultations. The Attorney General shall provide Indian Tribes and law enforcement agencies with training and technical assistance relating to the development and implementation of the law enforcement and justice protocols of the Indian Tribes and agencies, respectively, in accordance with the standardized protocols under subsection (a). Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this title, Federal law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes relating to missing and murdered Indians shall modify the law enforcement and justice protocols of the agency to satisfactorily comply with the standardized protocols under subsection (a).