0
BADGES for Native Communities Act
12/29/2022, 12:33 PM
Summary of Bill HR 8960
The BADGES for Native Communities Act aims to improve coordination between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in order to better respond to cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous individuals. The bill would require the Department of Justice to establish guidelines for responding to these cases and provide training to law enforcement officers on how to effectively investigate them.
Additionally, the BADGES for Native Communities Act would create a national database of missing and murdered Indigenous people in order to track and monitor these cases more effectively. This database would help to ensure that these cases are given the attention and resources they deserve. Overall, the BADGES for Native Communities Act seeks to address the alarming rates of missing and murdered Indigenous people in Native American communities by improving coordination and response efforts among law enforcement agencies.
Congressional Summary of HR 8960
Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for Native Communities Act or the BADGES for Native Communities Act
This bill revises federal policies and procedures related to information sharing, reporting, and investigating cases of missing, unidentified, or murdered Indians.
Among other elements, the bill requires the Department of Justice to (1) establish a grant program for specified entities (e.g., tribes) to implement changes to enhance their responses to missing person cases and death investigations of interest to tribes, and (2) work with the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that federal training resources and culturally appropriate mental health and wellness programs are available to tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers experiencing occupational stress.
The Department of the Interior must establish a five-year demonstration program for the purpose of conducting or adjudicating personnel background investigations for applicants for law enforcement positions in the BIA.
The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct specified studies, including a study on the evidence collection, handling, and processing procedures and practices of federal law enforcement agencies.
