Montana extends ICWA protections through 2029 with scaled-back bill

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law on May 12 extending the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act until June 2029, according to Montana Free Press and ICT. Sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, the bill aimed to continue protections for Native children and their families in adoption and foster care cases. Earlier versions of the bill included cultural compact requirements, which were removed due to state cost concerns. The amended version, which transformed the 27-page bill to a two-page document, passed the House Human Services Committee unanimously. After the amendment passed, a new fiscal note estimated the policy would cost nothing. Windy Boy said the final bill was “probably the best we could do this session” and intends to reintroduce expanded protections in a future session.