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S390119th Congress

BADGES for Native Communities Act

Sponsored By: Senator Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

Passed Senate

Summary

Bridging agency data gaps and improving safety for Native communities. This bill would create Tribal facilitators for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System to improve reporting, training, and coordination around missing Indians, unclaimed remains, and unidentified remains.

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  • Families and Tribal governments: Tribal facilitators would coordinate reporting, provide technical assistance, and run outreach so Tribes can track and resolve missing and unidentified persons cases more effectively.
  • Tribal justice and forensic capacity: The bill enumerates unmet needs for Tribal and Bureau justice systems, including investigators, medical examiners, forensic technicians, evidence storage, and emergency communications to guide planning and resource requests.
  • BIA law enforcement applicants: The Interior would run a five-year demonstration to carry out background investigations and security-clearance decisions for Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement. The Secretary must report after three years on the program, including costs, processing times, and whether to reauthorize.
  • Transparency and federal oversight: The Attorney General, through the National Institute of Justice, must publish annual public summaries of Tribal facilitator activities for three years and submit annual reports to specific congressional committees about related activities and staffing.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Faster hiring and wellness for Tribal police

If enacted, Interior would run a five‑year pilot to handle background checks and security clearances for BIA law enforcement applicants. A clearance granted under the pilot would satisfy other federal agency rules. By year three, the Secretary would report on numbers of checks, costs, savings, processing times, and whether to extend the pilot. HHS and DOJ would also work with BIA to make local or regional, culturally appropriate mental health and wellness training available to BIA and Tribal officers. They would check if those agencies can get services from Federal Occupational Health’s Law Enforcement Assistance Program.

More help tracking missing Indigenous people

If enacted, the Justice Department would fund grants to help Tribes and partners track and investigate missing people, sexual violence, and death cases. About $1 million a year would be authorized for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Tribes, Tribal groups, their consortia, and States working in consortia with Tribes could apply. States would need to report cases to national crime databases, or plan to do so with grant funds, and have MOUs for any planned data sharing. The Attorney General would also name Tribal facilitators for the national missing persons system to train, improve reporting, and work with BIA, FBI, U.S. Attorneys, and States. DOJ would report each year for three years on results and post updates online.

More oversight of justice in Indian country

If enacted, the Attorney General would send Congress a yearly report on named DOJ law enforcement agencies and their work under this Act. The Comptroller General would also study how BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the FBI collect and handle evidence in Indian country. The study would look at barriers tied to case declines for lack of evidence and include views from U.S. Attorneys. The report would be due to Congress within 18 months of enactment.

Updates to Tribal justice system needs

If enacted, the law would expand the official list of unmet Tribal justice needs. It would name staffing for police, courts, victim services, and related roles; repairs to jails; and police and court facilities, including evidence storage. It would also list public safety communications and internet capacity. This would guide what Congress reviews for future funding.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

NV • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]

    ND • R

    Sponsored 2/4/2025

  • Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 2/4/2025

  • Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

    SD • R

    Sponsored 2/4/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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