Cortez Masto’s Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Tribal Public Safety Passes Committee

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) released the following statements after the Senate Indian Affairs Committee voted to pass 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 tools to combat violence.

"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."

"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."

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. She secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program in the FY2022 omnibus. 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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