Nevada lawmakers propose Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples alert system

Nevada lawmakers and advocates are proposing a new statewide alert system to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP). Assemblymember Shea Backus, the state’s only Indigenous member of the Assembly, intends to sponsor a bill in the upcoming legislative session to establish this system.

The proposed alert would utilize existing infrastructure, similar to Amber and Silver Alerts, to rapidly disseminate information via text and email to law enforcement, Tribal Nations, the media, and the public when an Indigenous person goes missing under specific circumstances. Advocates note that Indigenous women are murdered at rates up to 10 times higher than other ethnicities, and many families struggle with jurisdictional confusion between tribal, local, and federal agencies.

If passed, Nevada would become the seventh state to implement an MMIP alert system, joining California, Washington, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, and Arizona. The Native Voters Alliance Nevada highlighted that the initiative aims to close the gap in response times and provide families with more immediate support during critical search windows.