09.25.24

Hoeven, Cortez Masto Bill to Strengthen Tribal Public Safety Passes Committee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs voted to approve their bipartisan Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act. Specifically, the BADGES for Native Communities Act would support the recruitment and retention of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers, bolster federal missing persons resources and give Tribes and states greater tools to combat violence.

“Securing committee approval of our legislation is an important step toward strengthening the resources available to Tribal law enforcement,” said Senator Hoeven. “Our bill authorizes the BIA to conduct its own background check of law enforcement applicants, which empowers Tribes to meet their law enforcement staffing and infrastructure needs, enhances public safety and helps bring offenders to justice.”

“I hear it often from Tribes in Nevada—law enforcement officers are stretched thin in their communities and it’s having an impact on everyone, especially when it comes to combating the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud of our bipartisan work to pass the BADGES for Native Communities Act through committee today. This bill to give Tribal police the resources and tools they need to fight crime and keep their communities safe is one step closer to becoming law.”

Specifically, the BADGES for Native Communities Act would:

  • Allow the BIA to conduct its own background checks for law enforcement officer applicants in order to improve officer recruitment.
  • Increase Tribal access to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) by requiring Tribal facilitators to conduct ongoing Tribal outreach and serve as a point of contact for Tribes and law enforcement agencies, as well as conduct training and information gathering to improve the resolution of missing persons cases.
  • Require a report on Tribal law enforcement needs, including staffing, replacement and repairs for corrections facilities, infrastructure and capital for Tribal police and court facilities, and emergency communication technology.
  • Establish a grant program to support states, Tribes, and Tribal organizations in the coordination of efforts related to missing and murdered persons cases and sexual assault cases.
  • Evaluate federal law enforcement evidence collection, handling, and processing crucial to securing conviction of violent offenders.

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