HB 1535 — State Alert Notice System; “Feather Alert” for Missing Indigenous Individuals (ND)
Status & Timeline
- Introduced: April 1, 2025
- Enacted: Signed by the Governor May 29, 2025
- Effective date: September 1, 2025
- Appropriation biennium: funding available July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027
Purpose
- Establish a “Feather Alert” notice system to broadcast urgent public bulletins about missing Indigenous individuals believed to be abducted or at imminent risk of serious bodily injury or death.
- Amend the statewide alert/notice statutory framework (the new chapter to Title 54 created by SB 2098) to add definitions and procedures for feather alerts and clarify activation/coordination among state, tribal, and local entities.
- Assign roles for evaluation, outreach, and ongoing oversight through the Committee on Tribal and State Relations and the North Dakota tribal governments’ task force.
- Provide funding and one full-time equivalent (FTE) to support implementation and coordination.
Key Provisions
- Feather Alert creation: The highway patrol, in cooperation with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Department of Emergency Services’ Division of State Radio, must establish the feather alert notice system to issue urgent bulletins via the Emergency Alert System and other communications.
- Activation criteria: A law enforcement agency may request activation only if all of the following are met:
- The missing person is Indigenous;
- Local, tribal, and state resources have been utilized;
- The disappearance is unexplained, suspicious, or dangerous;
- The person is believed to be in imminent danger (age, health, disability, weather, or presence of a dangerous individual);
- Sufficient descriptive information (person, suspect, or vehicle) exists to aid recovery;
- The case involves suspected abduction or a belief the person faces serious bodily harm or death.
- Operational planning: BCI and the highway patrol must prepare an operational plan detailing activation logistics and the role of state radio, including broadcasting alerts in Indigenous languages when required/available.
- Communication modes: The statute directs use of the Emergency Alert System and other available channels (e.g., travel information systems, digital signage, social media — as provided in the operational plan).
- Indian Affairs Commission role: Serve as primary liaison between tribal, state, and federal agencies; lead public education, outreach, and advocacy; coordinate implementation; and host annual listening sessions with tribal leaders.
- Oversight & reporting:
- BCI and highway patrol must issue an annual report to the Indian Affairs Commission on system effectiveness and implementation.
- The Committee on Tribal and State Relations will conduct joint meetings with the tribal governments’ task force to study tribal-state issues and evaluate the feather alert system; it will prepare a findings report and recommendations for Legislative Management.
- Definitions added/amended: The new Title 54 chapter is amended to define “feather alert” alongside amber, blue, silver, and other alert notice types and to include “missing and endangered persons” categories.
- Appropriation: $250,000 (general fund) is appropriated to the Indian Affairs Commission for coordinating, implementing, and evaluating the feather alert system and for one FTE for the 2025–27 biennium (funds may be used for salaries, operating expenses, and capital assets).
Who is affected
- State law enforcement (highway patrol, BCI), Department of Emergency Services (Division of State Radio)
- Indian Affairs Commission and tribal governments
- Local law enforcement agencies and the public (recipients of alerts)
- Committee on Tribal and State Relations (responsible for evaluation/reporting)
- Entities operating public communications infrastructure (broadcasters, DOT signage, travel information systems)
Potential impacts
- Improves tools for locating missing Indigenous persons and strengthens state–tribal coordination and outreach.
- Establishes operational and reporting responsibilities for state agencies and provides seed funding and staffing support to the Indian Affairs Commission.
- Requires procedural coordination among multiple agencies and may increase workloads related to operational planning, language/access accommodations, and annual reporting.
