Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reintroduced their bipartisan Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act to 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.
“It’s time that we passed this commonsense, bipartisan bill into law, and I’m committed to getting it done,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The Bureau of Indian Affairs needs more resources to recruit and retain officers, solve missing persons cases, and combat crime in Indian Country. I urge my colleagues to work with me to move this critical bill forward.”
“Our legislation is a significant step toward enhancing resources for Tribal law enforcement,” said Senator Hoeven. “It authorizes the BIA to conduct background checks on law enforcement applicants, providing Tribes with the tools they need to address critical staffing shortages and infrastructure challenges. This not only strengthens public safety within Tribal communities but also ensures that offenders are held accountable, empowering Tribes to better protect their citizens and uphold justice.”
“Every Arizonan deserves to feel safe, and that includes those living on Tribal lands,” said Senator Gallego. “Too often, cases go unsolved or uninvestigated because Tribal law enforcement lack the staffing and resources they need. This commonsense, bipartisan bill will go a long way in addressing those needs, and I hope to see it signed into law this Congress.”
“Tribal officials in South Dakota have been dealing with public safety issues for several years, and they need more support,” said Senator Rounds. “Our legislation would give tribal leaders and law enforcement officers more tools to assist with investigating crimes, recruiting additional law enforcement personnel and keeping their communities safe.”
Senator Cortez Masto is a strong supporter of Tribal communities and passed two bipartisan bills, the Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act, to combat the missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) crisis during President Trump’s first term. 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. This legislation passed the Senate unanimously last year. 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 both the Trump and Biden administrations to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, and has secured federal funding to protect Native communities. She urged the Biden Administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requested 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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