Bureau of Indian Affairs
WASHINGTON (KFGO) – Bipartisan legislation introduced by Sen. John Hoeven to strengthen tribal public safety has unanimously passed the Senate.
Hoeven says the Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (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 tools to combat violence.
“The BADGES for Native Communities Act will help improve and increase resources for Tribal law enforcement,” said Sen. Hoeven. “By enabling the BIA to conduct its own background checks on law enforcement applicants, this legislation gives Tribes critical tools to address staffing shortages. This not only enhances public safety within Tribal communities but also helps ensure offenders are held accountable, empowering Tribes to better protect their citizens and uphold justice.”
Sen. Hoeven sponsored the legislation with republican Mike Rounds of South Dakota, democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Arizona democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego.
“Since my time as Nevada’s Attorney General, I have worked closely with law enforcement to keep families safe in every corner of the Silver State, including in Indian Country,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It is past time to get this bipartisan legislation across the finish line to provide Tribes with the resources they need to protect their communities. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to quickly send this bill to the President’s desk.”
The BADGES for Native Communities Act would:
- Allow the BIA to conduct its own background checks for law enforcement officer applicants 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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