Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate passed the Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act, bipartisan legislation by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.). The BADGES for Native Communities Act will support the recruitment and retention of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers, bolster federal missing persons resources, and give Tribes and states tools to combat violence. This legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“Tribal communities in Nevada have made it clear to me that their law enforcement is stretched thin, and this is impacting their ability to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “That’s why I’m proud to have worked with my colleague, Senator Hoeven, to pass our bipartisan BADGES for Native Communities Act through the Senate. This bill provides Tribal police with more tools to keep their communities safe, and I’m glad it’s one step closer to becoming law.”
“Our legislation is about empowering Tribal law enforcement to meet their staffing needs, giving them greater support as they work to protect their communities and keep the public safe,” said Senator Hoeven. “Recruitment and retention are real challenges for law enforcement, especially in rural areas. By allowing the BIA to conduct its own background checks, we are streamlining the agency’s ability to place officers in Tribal communities and helping fill this critical need.”
Senator Cortez Masto is a strong supporter of Tribal communities and has passed two bipartisan bills, the Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act, to combat the missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) crisis. The commission created by the Not Invisible Act specifically called for passage of Cortez Masto’s BADGES for Native Communities Act to help law enforcement better serve Native communities. The BADGES for Native Communities Act would:
- 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 comprehensive report on Tribal law enforcement needs.
- Allow the BIA to conduct its own background checks for law enforcement officer applicants in order to speed up and improve officer recruitment.
- Establish a grant program to help states, Tribes, and Tribal organizations coordinate efforts related to missing and murdered persons cases and sexual assault cases.
- Ensure BIA officers and Tribal police have access to culturally appropriate mental health and wellness programs.
Senator Cortez Masto has repeatedly called on the administration to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, including securing federal funding to protect Native communities, urging the administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the federal response to this crisis. She’s also fought to ensure that law enforcement officers across the country have the support they need, securing historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program, which she champions every year. The program is the leading source of criminal justice funding for state, local, and Tribal governments and provides support for programs related to crime prevention, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and mental and behavioral health.
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