Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Sharice Davids (D-KS) introduced the 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. U.S. Senators Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Hoeven (R-ND), Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the bill in the Senate. 

"Native American law enforcement has for too long been under-resourced and the results are clear—a crisis of missing and murdered persons when predators know they won’t have to worry about the law coming after them,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández (D-NM). “The BADGES for Native Communities Act will help fight the missing persons crisis by improving the hiring process and criminal investigations.” 

“Lack of access to essential data in investigations of missing and murdered indigenous women cases is a constant challenge for tribal law enforcement in Central Washington and across the country. This bipartisan legislation is a huge step in ensuring investigators have the resources they need to coordinate across agencies and protect our tribal communities,” said Congressman Newhouse (R-WA).

“Improving coordination between federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies is vital to addressing critical data gaps and increasing public safety of all tribal populations. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the BADGES Act, which will help remove barriers that stand in the way of addressing violence against tribal communities,” said Congresswoman Davids (D-KS).   

“It’s time that we passed this commonsense, bipartisan bill into law, and I’m committed to getting it done,” said Senator Cortez Masto, Senate sponsor of the legislation. “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.”

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.

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. In partnership with tribal leaders, she continues to seek ways to support Native American communities. Her Telehealth Access for Tribal Communities Act would ensure that Native Americans can easily access audio-only telehealth services. Five of her bills would authorize Indian Water Rights Settlements for 12 tribes in her district to ensure water access. Her Home of Your Own Act would provide down payment assistance to help first-time homebuyers purchase a home. 

On the Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, she has led committee hearings to improve tribal public safety, return land to tribes, advance cultural preservation, and promote economic development. She has supported legislation to formally investigate Indian Boarding Schools to document the stories of survivors and aid in recovery from historical trauma. She also cosponsored the Native American Voting Rights Act to ensure tribes have access to the ballot and the Native American Child Protection Act to help victims of child abuse.