Federal · Title 25 — Indians
25 U.S.C. § 5704: Guidelines for responding to cases of missing or murdered Indians
Read the full statutory text
guidelines on inter-jurisdictional cooperation among law enforcement agencies at the Tribal, Federal, State, and local levels, including inter-jurisdictional enforcement of protection orders and detailing specific responsibilities of each law enforcement agency; best practices in conducting searches for missing persons on and off Indian land; standards on the collection, reporting, and analysis of data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains, and information on culturally appropriate identification and handling of human remains identified as Indian, including guidance stating that all appropriate information related to missing or murdered Indians be entered in a timely manner into applicable databases; guidance on which law enforcement agency is responsible for inputting information into appropriate databases under paragraph (3) if the Tribal law enforcement agency does not have access to those appropriate databases; guidelines on improving law enforcement agency response rates and follow-up responses to cases of missing or murdered Indians; and guidelines on ensuring access to culturally appropriate victim services for victims and their families. the Department of Justice; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of the Interior; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Tribal, State, and local law enforcement agencies; medical examiners; coroners; Tribal, State, and local organizations that provide victim services; and national, regional, or urban Indian organizations with relevant expertise. Not later than 1 year after October 10, 2020 , the United States attorneys shall implement, by incorporating into office policies and procedures, the guidelines developed under subsection (a). Each Federal law enforcement agency shall modify the guidelines, policies, and protocols of the agency to incorporate the guidelines developed under subsection (a). Not later than the end of each fiscal year beginning after the date the guidelines are established under this section and incorporated under this subsection, upon the request of a Tribal, State, or local law enforcement agency, the Attorney General shall determine whether the Tribal, State, or local law enforcement agency seeking recognition of compliance has incorporated guidelines into their respective guidelines, policies, and protocols. disclose and publish, including on the website of the Department of Justice, the name of each Tribal, State, or local law enforcement agency that the Attorney General has determined has incorporated guidelines in accordance with subsection (c)(3); disclose and publish, including on the website of the Department of Justice, the name of each Tribal, State, or local law enforcement agency that has requested a determination in accordance with subsection (c)(3) that is pending; collect the guidelines into a resource of examples and best practices that can be used by other law enforcement agencies seeking to create and implement such guidelines. implementing the guidelines developed under subsection (a) or developing and implementing locally specific guidelines or protocols for responding to cases of missing or murdered Indians; and using the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and accessing program services that will assist Indian Tribes with responding to cases of missing or murdered Indians. Indian Tribes may submit their own guidelines to respond to cases of missing or murdered Indians to the Attorney General. Upon receipt of any guidelines from an Indian Tribe, the Attorney General shall publish the guidelines on the website of the Department of Justice in 1 centralized location to make the guidelines available as a resource to any Federal agency, State, or Tribal government.
Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text
Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.
MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.
This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.