Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Tribal Law Enforcement, Address MMIW Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after introducing legislation alongside Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tom Cole (R-OK), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) to strengthen tribal law enforcement and increase public safety in Indian Country. The BADGES for Native Communities Act addresses federal inefficiencies that hurt Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement recruitment and retention, increases the effectiveness of federal missing persons resources, and gives tribes and states resources to combat the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

“Central Washington tribal communities are, unfortunately, at the center of the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women, and that is unacceptable,” said Rep. Newhouse. “The federal government needs to play an important role in helping our tribal communities, and The BADGES for Native Communities Act does just that. It will provide tribes and tribal law enforcement access to federal resources and criminal databases so they can effectively and quickly investigate these tragic cases. This legislation builds off my efforts to increase resources for our tribal law enforcement officers, further strengthening our tribal communities' ability to enforce public safety and helping improve public safety for all our communities. In turn, this legislation will also provide assistance for tribes to address MMIW cases, prevent future cases, and deliver justice to the families of victims. I am committed to delivering assistance for our native communities and I look forward to this legislation being signed into law.”

This legislation is endorsed by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, the Seattle Indian Health Board, Amnesty International, National Council of Urban Indian Health, and National Congress of American Indians.

“NCAI celebrates the introduction of the Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for Native Communities Act (BADGES) as a step forward to ending the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Relatives across the country. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation to bring us another step closer to making Indian Country safer,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr.

“Inefficient data sharing, poor recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers, and the lack of coordination among Federal, state, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies remain significant barriers to justice for Native women and children experiencing disproportionate levels of violence. The Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act will help to address some of these inefficiencies by supporting data systems and law enforcement coordination efforts, as well as empowering Tribes with the resources needed to find our missing relatives and end this crisis of violence,” said Lucy R. Simpson, Executive Director, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC).

"CSVANW supports the BADGES for Native Communities Act because it seeks to ensure justice for our relatives who are navigating multiple justice systems,” said the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. “Impacted communities deserve an adequate response and system coordination at all levels of government. Eliminating barriers to safety and coordinating existing efforts makes sense. This is yet another step in the right direction that Congress can make to ensure tribal communities are protected. Our tribal communities need this now."

"We know because of the work of our research division, Urban Indian Health Institute, that major gaps exist within law enforcement and data collection that has hindered our community’s ability to advocate on behalf of our missing and murdered relatives,” said Esther Lucero (Diné), President and CEO of Seattle Indian Health Board. “The BADGES Act seeks to address those gaps and provide necessary resources for tribes and urban Indian organizations.”

You can read the full text of the bill here.

Background:

The BADGES for Native Communities Act includes provisions to do the following:

• 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.
• Allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to conduct its own background checks for law enforcement officer applicants in order to improve officer recruitment.
• Establish a grant program to support states, tribes, and tribal organizations in the coordination 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.
• Ensure BIA officers and tribal police have access to culturally appropriate mental health and wellness programs.

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