WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) 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.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Last Congress, then-Representative Gallego was the House lead of the BADGES for Native Communities Act. The legislation 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 Gallego has long been a champion for improving safety in Tribal communities. During his time in the House of Representatives, he chaired the first Congressional hearing on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and last year his bipartisan Native American Child Protection Act was signed into law.