Montana Code 41-3-1302. Legislative findings — purpose
41-3-1302. (Temporary) Legislative findings — purpose. (1) The legislature recognizes that in possibly no other area of concurrent tribal and state law is it more important that tribal sovereignty be respected than in an area as socially and culturally determinative as family relationships. The legislature finds that the state is committed to protecting the essential tribal relations and best interests of Indian children by promoting practices designed to prevent out-of-home placement of Indian children that is inconsistent with the rights of the parents, the health, safety, or welfare of the child, or the interests of the child’s tribe.
Terms Used In Montana Code 41-3-1302
- Indian: means a person who is a member of an Indian tribe or who is an Alaska Native and a member of a regional corporation as established in 43 U. See Montana Code 41-3-1303
- Indian child: means an unmarried Indian person who is under 18 years of age and who is:
(a)a member of an Indian tribe; or
(b)eligible for membership in an Indian tribe and is the biological child of a member of an Indian tribe. See Montana Code 41-3-1303
- Indian custodian: means an Indian person who under tribal law, tribal custom, or state law has legal or temporary physical custody of an Indian child or to whom the parent has transferred temporary care, physical custody, and control of the Indian child. See Montana Code 41-3-1303
- Parent: means a biological parent of an Indian child or an individual who has lawfully adopted an Indian child, including adoptions made as tribal customary adoptions. See Montana Code 41-3-1303
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- tribe: means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians recognized as eligible for the services provided to Indians by the secretary of the interior because of their status as Indians. See Montana Code 41-3-1303
(2)The legislature further finds that when placement away from the parent or Indian custodian is necessary for the Indian child‘s safety, the state is committed to a placement that reflects and honors the unique values of the Indian child’s tribal culture and is best able to assist the Indian child in establishing, developing, and maintaining a political, cultural, social, and spiritual relationship with the Indian child’s tribe and tribal community. (Terminates June 30, 2025–sec. 55, Ch. 716, L. 2023.)