II 

Calendar No. 559 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 465 

[Report No. 118–244] 

To require Federal law enforcement agencies to report on cases of missing 

or murdered Indians, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2023 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, Mr. HOEVEN, and Mr. ROUNDS) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Indian Affairs 

NOVEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported by Mr. SCHATZ, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To require Federal law enforcement agencies to report on 

cases of missing or murdered Indians, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for 


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1 Native Communities Act’’ or the ‘‘BADGES for Native 

2 Communities Act’’. 

3 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

4 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

TITLE I—BRIDGING AGENCY DATA GAPS 

Sec. 101. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System Tribal facilitator. 

Sec. 102. Report on Indian country law enforcement personnel resources and 

need. 

TITLE II—ENSURING SAFETY FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES 

Sec. 201. Demonstration program on Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement 

employment background checks. 

Sec. 202. Missing and murdered response coordination grant program. 

Sec. 203. GAO study on Federal law enforcement agency evidence collection, 

handling, and processing. 

Sec. 204. Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement officer counseling resources interdepartmental coordination. 

5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

7 (1) DEATH INVESTIGATION.—The term ‘‘death 

8 investigation’’ has the meaning determined by the 

9 Attorney General. 

10 (2) DEATH INVESTIGATION OF INTEREST TO

11 INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘death investigation of 

12 interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case involving— 

13 (A) a death investigation into the death of 

14 an Indian; or 

15 (B) a death investigation of a person found 

16 on, in, or adjacent to Indian land or a Village. 


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1 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

2 the Director of the Office of Justice Services. 

3 (4) FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.— 

4 The term ‘‘Federal law enforcement agency’’ means 

5 the Bureau of Indian Affairs direct-service police, 

6 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and any other 

7 Federal law enforcement agency that— 

8 (A) has jurisdiction over crimes in Indian 

9 country; or 

10 (B) investigates missing persons cases of 

11 interest to Indian Tribes, death investigations 

12 of interest to Indian Tribes, unclaimed remains 

13 cases of interest to Indian Tribes, or unidenti14 fied remains cases of interest to Indian Tribes. 

15 (5) INDIAN.—The term ‘‘Indian’’ has the mean16 ing given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self17 Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 

18 U.S.C. 5304). 

19 (6) INDIAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Indian coun20 try’’ has the meaning given the term in section 1151 

21 of title 18, United States Code. 

22 (7) INDIAN LAND.—The term ‘‘Indian land’’ 

23 has the meaning given the term ‘‘Indian lands’’ in 

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1 ment, Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000 

2 (25 U.S.C. 4302). 

3 (8) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 

4 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

5 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

6 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

7 (9) MISSING.—The term ‘‘missing’’ has the 

8 meaning determined by the Attorney General. 

9 (10) MISSING PERSONS CASE OF INTEREST TO

10 INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘missing persons case of 

11 interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case involving— 

12 (A) a missing Indian; or 

13 (B) a missing person whose last known lo14 cation is believed to be on, in, or adjacent to In15 dian land or a Village. 

16 (11) NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION DATA17 BASES.—The term ‘‘national crime information 

18 databases’’ has the meaning given the term in sec19 tion 534(f)(3) of title 28, United States Code. 

20 (12) RELEVANT TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The 

21 term ‘‘relevant Tribal organization’’ means, as appli22 cable— 

23 (A) a tribal organization or an urban In24 dian organization; and 


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1 (B) a national or regional organization 

2 that— 

3 (i) represents a substantial Indian 

4 constituency; and 

5 (ii) has expertise in the fields of— 

6 (I) human trafficking of Indians; 

7 (II) human trafficking on Indian 

8 land or in a Village; 

9 (III) violence against Indian 

10 women and children; or 

11 (IV) tribal justice systems. 

12 (13) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 

13 means the Secretary of the Interior. 

14 (14) SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE OF INTEREST TO

15 INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘sexual assault case of 

16 interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case involving an 

17 allegation of a felony under chapter 109A or 110 of 

18 title 18, United States Code, committed against an 

19 Indian by another Indian or a non-Indian. 

20 (15) TRIBAL JUSTICE OFFICIAL.—The term 

21 ‘‘tribal justice official’’ has the meaning given the 

22 term in section 2 of the Indian Law Enforcement 

23 Reform Act (25 U.S.C. 2801). 

24 (16) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘tribal 

25 organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 


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1 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu2 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

3 (17) UNCLAIMED REMAINS CASE OF INTEREST

4 TO INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘unclaimed remains 

5 case of interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case in6 volving— 

7 (A) unclaimed Indian remains; or 

8 (B) unclaimed remains found on, in, or ad9 jacent to Indian land or a Village. 

10 (18) UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS CASE OF INTER11 EST TO INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘unidentified re12 mains case of interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a 

13 case involving— 

14 (A) unidentified Indian remains; or 

15 (B) unidentified remains found on, in, or 

16 adjacent to Indian land or a Village. 

17 (19) URBAN INDIAN ORGANIZATION.—The term 

18 ‘‘urban Indian organization’’ has the meaning given 

19 the term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Im20 provement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603). 

21 (20) VILLAGE.—The term ‘‘Village’’ means the 

22 Alaska Native Village Statistical Area covering all or 

23 any portion of a Native village (as defined in section 

24 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 

25 U.S.C. 1602)), as depicted on the applicable Tribal 


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1 Statistical Area Program Verification Map of the 

2 Bureau of the Census. 

3 TITLE I—BRIDGING AGENCY 

4 DATA GAPS 

5 SEC. 101. NATIONAL MISSING AND UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS 

6 SYSTEM TRIBAL FACILITATOR. 

7 (a) APPOINTMENT.—The Attorney General, acting 

8 through the Director of the National Institute of Justice, 

9 shall appoint 1 or more Tribal facilitators for the National 

10 Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 

11 (b) DUTIES.—The duties of a Tribal facilitator ap12 pointed under subsection (a) shall include— 

13 (1) coordinating the reporting of information 

14 relating to missing persons cases of interest to In15 dian Tribes, unclaimed remains cases of interest to 

16 Indian Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of in17 terest to Indian Tribes; 

18 (2) consulting and coordinating with Indian 

19 Tribes and relevant Tribal organizations to address 

20 the reporting, documentation, and tracking of miss21 ing persons cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un22 claimed remains cases of Interest to Indian Tribes, 

23 and unidentified remains cases of interest to Indian 

24 Tribes; 


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1 (3) developing working relationships, and main2 taining communication, with Indian Tribes and rel3 evant Tribal organizations; 

4 (4) providing technical assistance and training 

5 to Indian Tribes and relevant Tribal organizations, 

6 victim service advocates, medical examiners, coro7 ners, and tribal justice officials regarding— 

8 (A) the gathering and reporting of infor9 mation to the National Missing and Unidenti10 fied Persons System; and 

11 (B) working with non-Tribal law enforce12 ment agencies to ensure missing persons cases 

13 of interest to Indian Tribes, unclaimed remains 

14 cases of interest to Indian Tribes, and unidenti15 fied remains cases of interest to Indian Tribes 

16 are reported to the National Missing and Un17 identified Persons System; 

18 (5) coordinating with the Office of Tribal Jus19 tice, the Office of Justice Services, the Executive Of20 fice for United States Attorneys, and the National 

21 Indian Country Training Initiative, as necessary; 

22 and 

23 (6) conducting other training, information gath24 ering, and outreach activities to improve resolution 

25 of missing persons cases of interest to Indian Tribes, 


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1 unclaimed remains cases of interest to Indian 

2 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of interest to 

3 Indian Tribes. 

4 (c) REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY.— 

5 (1) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—During 

6 the 3-year-period beginning on the date of enact7 ment of this Act, the Attorney General, acting 

8 through the Director of the National Institute of 

9 Justice, shall submit to the Committees on Indian 

10 Affairs, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the 

11 Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources, 

12 the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the House of 

13 Representatives an annual report— 

14 (A) describing the activities and accom15 plishments of the 1 or more Tribal facilitators 

16 appointed under subsection (a) during the 1- 

17 year period preceding the date of the report; 

18 and 

19 (B) summarizing— 

20 (i) the number of missing persons 

21 cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un22 claimed remains cases of interest to Indian 

23 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of 

24 interest to Indian Tribes that the Tribal 

25 facilitator can identify in the National 


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1 Missing and Unidentified Persons System; 

2 and 

3 (ii) the percentage of missing persons 

4 cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un5 claimed remains cases of interest to Indian 

6 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of 

7 interest to Indian Tribes closed during the 

8 1-year period preceding the date of the re9 port that the Tribal facilitator can identify 

10 in the National Missing and Unidentified 

11 Persons System. 

12 (2) PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY.—Annually, the At13 torney General, acting through the Director of the 

14 National Institute of Justice, shall publish on a 

15 website publicly accessible information— 

16 (A) describing the activities and accom17 plishments of the 1 or more Tribal facilitators 

18 appointed under subsection (a) during the 1- 

19 year period preceding the date of the publica20 tion; and 

21 (B) summarizing— 

22 (i) the number of missing persons 

23 cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un24 claimed remains cases of interest to Indian 

25 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of 


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1 interest to Indian Tribes that the Tribal 

2 facilitator can identify in the National 

3 Missing and Unidentified Persons System; 

4 and 

5 (ii) the percentage of missing persons 

6 cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un7 claimed remains cases of interest to Indian 

8 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of 

9 interest to Indian Tribes closed during the 

10 1-year period preceding the date of the re11 port that the Tribal facilitator can identify 

12 in the National Missing and Unidentified 

13 Persons System. 

14 SEC. 102. REPORT ON INDIAN COUNTRY LAW ENFORCE15 MENT PERSONNEL RESOURCES AND NEED. 

16 (a) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFICE OF JUS17 TICE SERVICES.—Section 3(c)(16) of the Indian Law En18 forcement Reform Act (25 U.S.C. 2802(c)(16)) is amend19 ed by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘(C) a list of the unmet— 

22 ‘‘(i) staffing needs of law enforcement, 

23 corrections, and court personnel, including 

24 criminal investigators, medical examiners, 

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1 fense staff, and prosecution staff, at tribal 

2 and Bureau of Indian Affairs justice agen3 cies; 

4 ‘‘(ii) replacement and repair needs of 

5 tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs correc6 tions facilities; 

7 ‘‘(iii) infrastructure and capital needs 

8 for tribal police and court facilities, includ9 ing evidence storage and processing; and 

10 ‘‘(iv) public safety and emergency 

11 communications and technology needs; 

12 and’’. 

13 (b) DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.— 

14 (1) DEFINITION OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

15 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.—In this subsection, 

16 the term ‘‘Department of Justice law enforcement 

17 agency’’ means each of— 

18 (A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

19 (B) the Drug Enforcement Administration; 

20 (C) the United States Marshals Service; 

21 (D) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire22 arms and Explosives; and 

23 (E) the Offices of the United States Attor24 neys. 


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1 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each fiscal year, the 

2 Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on 

3 Indian Affairs, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of 

4 the Senate and the Committees on Natural Re5 sources, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the 

6 House of Representatives a report describing for 

7 that fiscal year— 

8 (A) the number of full-time employees of 

9 each Department of Justice law enforcement 

10 agency that are assigned to work on criminal 

11 investigations and prosecutions in Indian coun12 try; and 

13 (B) the percentage of time the full-employ14 ees spend specifically working in Indian coun15 try. 

16 (3) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.— 

17 (A) STUDY.— 

18 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 

19 months after the date on which the first 

20 annual report is submitted under para21 graph (2), the Comptroller General of the 

22 United States shall conduct a study that 

23 examines any identified unmet staffing 

24 needs for Department of Justice law en25 forcement agencies tasked with work on 


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1 criminal investigations and prosecutions in 

2 Indian country. 

3 (ii) REQUIREMENT.—In conducting 

4 the study required under clause (i), the 

5 Comptroller General of the United States 

6 shall take into account the results of the 

7 most recent report, as of the date of enact8 ment of this Act, relating to Indian coun9 try investigations and prosecutions pre10 pared by the Attorney General pursuant to 

11 section 10(b) of the Indian Law Enforce12 ment Reform Act (25 U.S.C. 2809(b)). 

13 (B) REPORT.—On completion of the study 

14 under subparagraph (A), the Comptroller Gen15 eral of the United States shall submit to the 

16 Committees on Indian Affairs, the Judiciary, 

17 and Appropriations of the Senate and the Com18 mittees on Natural Resources, the Judiciary, 

19 and Appropriations of the House of Representa20 tives a report that describes the results of the 

21 study, including, as appropriate, proposals for 

22 methods by which the Department of Justice 

23 can better measure the unmet staffing needs for 

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1 cies tasked with work on criminal investigations 

2 and prosecutions in Indian country. 

3 TITLE II—ENSURING SAFETY 

4 FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES 

5 SEC. 201. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON BUREAU OF IN6 DIAN AFFAIRS LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOY7 MENT BACKGROUND CHECKS. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

10 a demonstration program for the purpose of con11 ducting or adjudicating, in coordination with the Di12 rector of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, personnel 

13 background investigations for applicants for law en14 forcement positions in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

15 (2) BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND SECU16 RITY CLEARANCE DETERMINATIONS.— 

17 (A) BIA INVESTIGATIONS.—As part of the 

18 demonstration program established under para19 graph (1), the Secretary may carry out a back20 ground investigation, security clearance deter21 mination, or both a background investigation 

22 and a security clearance determination for an 

23 applicant for a law enforcement position in the 

24 Bureau of Indian Affairs. 


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1 (B) USE OF PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS

2 AND DETERMINATIONS.— 

3 (i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause 

4 (ii), as part of the demonstration program 

5 established under paragraph (1), the Sec6 retary, in adjudicating background inves7 tigations for applicants for law enforce8 ment positions in the Bureau of Indian Af9 fairs, shall consider previous background 

10 investigations for an applicant, security 

11 clearance determinations for an applicant, 

12 or both background investigations and se13 curity clearance determinations for an ap14 plicant, as the case may be, that have been 

15 conducted by a State or local government, 

16 Indian Tribe, tribal organization, or the 

17 Bureau of Indian Affairs, within the 5-year 

18 period preceding the application for em19 ployment with the Bureau of Indian Af20 fairs. 

21 (ii) QUALITY.—The Secretary shall 

22 only consider previous background inves23 tigations and security clearance determina24 tions for an applicant that have been con25 ducted by a State or local government, InVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:21 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S465.RS S465

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1 dian Tribe, or tribal organization if the 

2 Secretary can verify that those previous in3 vestigations and determinations, as the 

4 case may be, are of a comparable quality 

5 and thoroughness to investigations and de6 terminations carried out by the Bureau of 

7 Indian Affairs, the Office of Personnel 

8 Management, or another Federal agency. 

9 (iii) ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION.—If, 

10 as described in clause (i), the Secretary 

11 considers an existing background investiga12 tion, security clearance determination, or 

13 both, as the case may be, for an applicant 

14 that has been carried out by a State or 

15 local government, Indian Tribe, tribal or16 ganization, or the Bureau of Indian Af17 fairs, the Secretary— 

18 (I) may carry out additional in19 vestigation and examination of the ap20 plicant if the Secretary determines 

21 that such additional information is 

22 needed in order to make an appro23 priate determination as to the char24 acter and trustworthiness of the appli25 cant before final adjudication can be 


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1 made and a security clearance can be 

2 issued; and 

3 (II) shall not initiate a new back4 ground investigation process with the 

5 National Background Investigations 

6 Bureau or other Federal agency un7 less that new background investiga8 tion process covers a period of time 

9 that was not covered by a previous 

10 background investigation process. 

11 (iv) AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 

12 may enter into a Memorandum of Agree13 ment with a State or local government, In14 dian Tribe, or tribal organization to de15 velop steps to expedite the process of re16 ceiving and obtaining access to background 

17 investigation and security clearance deter18 minations for use in the demonstration 

19 program. 

20 (3) SUNSET.—The demonstration program es21 tablished under paragraph (1) shall terminate 5 

22 years after the date of the commencement of the 

23 demonstration program. 

24 (b) SUFFICIENCY.—Notwithstanding any other provi25 sion of law, a background investigation conducted or adjuVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:21 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S465.RS S465

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1 dicated by the Secretary pursuant to the demonstration 

2 program authorized under subsection (a) that results in 

3 the granting of a security clearance to an applicant for 

4 a law enforcement position in the Bureau of Indian Affairs 

5 shall be sufficient to meet the applicable requirements of 

6 the Office of Personnel Management or other Federal 

7 agency for such investigations. 

8 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to 

9 the Committees on Indian Affairs, the Judiciary, and Ap10 propriations of the Senate and the Committees on Natural 

11 Resources, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the House 

12 of Representatives an annual report on the demonstration 

13 program established under subsection (a)(1), which shall 

14 include a description of— 

15 (1) the demonstration program and any rel16 evant annual changes or updates to the program; 

17 (2) the number of background investigations 

18 carried out under the program; 

19 (3) the costs, including any cost savings, associ20 ated with the investigation and adjudication process 

21 under the program; 

22 (4) the processing times for the investigation 

23 and adjudication processes under the program; 


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1 (5) any Memoranda of Agreement entered into 

2 with State or local government, Indian Tribe, or 

3 tribal organization; and 

4 (6) any other information that the Secretary 

5 determines to be relevant. 

6 (d) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.— 

7 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 18 

8 months after the date on which the demonstration 

9 program established under subsection (a)(1) com10 mences, the Comptroller General of the United 

11 States shall prepare and submit to Congress an ini12 tial report on such demonstration program. 

13 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 18 months 

14 after the date on which the demonstration program 

15 terminates under subsection (a)(3), the Comptroller 

16 General of the United States shall prepare and sub17 mit to Congress a final report on such demonstra18 tion program. 

19 (3) TRIBAL INPUT.—In preparing the reports 

20 under this subsection, the Comptroller General of 

21 the United States shall obtain input from Indian 

22 Tribes regarding the demonstration program under 

23 this section. 


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1 SEC. 202. MISSING AND MURDERED RESPONSE COORDINA2 TION GRANT PROGRAM. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.—The At4 torney General shall establish within the Office of Justice 

5 Programs a grant program under which the Attorney Gen6 eral shall make grants to eligible entities described in sub7 section (b) to carry out eligible activities described in sub8 section (c). 

9 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

11 grant under the grant program established under 

12 subsection (a) an entity shall be— 

13 (A) an Indian Tribe; 

14 (B) a relevant Tribal organization; 

15 (C) subject to paragraph (2), a State, in 

16 consortium with— 

17 (i) 1 or more Indian Tribes; and 

18 (ii) relevant Tribal organizations, if 

19 any; 

20 (D) a consortium of 2 or more Indian 

21 Tribes or relevant Tribal organizations; or 

22 (E) subject to paragraph (2), a consortium 

23 of 2 or more States in consortium with— 

24 (i) 1 or more Indian Tribes; and 

25 (ii) relevant Tribal organizations, if 

26 any. 


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1 (2) STATE ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible under 

2 subparagraph (C) or (E) of paragraph (1), a State 

3 shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Attorney 

4 General that the State— 

5 (A)(i) reports missing persons cases in the 

6 State to the national crime information data7 bases; or 

8 (ii) if not, has a plan to do so using a 

9 grant received under the grant program estab10 lished under subsection (a); and 

11 (B) if data sharing between the State and 

12 the Indian Tribes and relevant Tribal organiza13 tions with which the State is in consortium is 

14 part of the intended use of the grant received 

15 under the grant program established under sub16 section (a), has entered into a memorandum of 

17 understanding with each applicable Indian 

18 Tribe and relevant Tribal organization. 

19 (c) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity receiv20 ing a grant under the grant program established under 

21 subsection (a) may use the grant— 

22 (1) to establish a statewide or regional center— 

23 (A) to document and track— 

24 (i) missing persons cases of interest to 

25 Indian Tribes; 


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1 (ii) sexual assault cases of interest to 

2 Indian Tribes; and 

3 (iii) death investigations of interest to 

4 Indian Tribes; and 

5 (B) to input information regarding missing 

6 persons cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un7 claimed remains cases of interest to Indian 

8 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of inter9 est to Indian Tribes into the National Missing 

10 and Unidentified Persons System; 

11 (2) to establish a State or regional commission 

12 to respond to, and to improve coordination between 

13 Federal law enforcement agencies, and Tribal, State, 

14 and local law enforcement agencies of the investiga15 tion of, missing persons cases of interest to Indian 

16 Tribes, sexual assault cases of interest to Indian 

17 Tribes, and death investigations of interest to Indian 

18 Tribes; and 

19 (3) to document, develop, and disseminate re20 sources for the coordination and improvement of the 

21 investigation of missing persons cases of interest to 

22 Indian Tribes, sexual assault cases of interest to In23 dian Tribes, and death investigations of interest to 

24 Indian Tribes, including to develop local or statewide 


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1 rapid notification or communication systems for 

2 alerts and other information relating to those cases. 

3 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the grant pro5 gram established under subsection (a) $1,000,000 for each 

6 of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 

7 SEC. 203. GAO STUDY ON FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 

8 AGENCY EVIDENCE COLLECTION, HANDLING, 

9 AND PROCESSING. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

11 United States shall conduct a study— 

12 (1) on the evidence collection, handling, and 

13 processing procedures and practices of the Office of 

14 Justice Services and the Federal Bureau of Inves15 tigation in exercising jurisdiction over crimes involv16 ing Indians or committed in Indian country; 

17 (2) on any barriers to evidence collection, han18 dling, and processing by the agencies referred to in 

19 paragraph (1); 

20 (3) on the views of law enforcement officials at 

21 the agencies referred to in paragraph (1) and their 

22 counterparts within the Offices of the United States 

23 Attorneys concerning any relationship between— 

24 (A) the barriers identified under paragraph 

25 (2); and 


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1 (B) United States Attorneys declination 

2 rates due to insufficient evidence; and 

3 (4) that includes a survey of barriers to evi4 dence collection, handling, and processing faced by— 

5 (A) Tribal law enforcement agencies; and 

6 (B) State and local law enforcement agen7 cies that exercise jurisdiction over Indian coun8 try. 

9 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

10 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

11 of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 

12 describing the results of the study conducted under sub13 section (a). 

14 SEC. 204. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND TRIBAL LAW 

15 ENFORCEMENT OFFICER COUNSELING RE16 SOURCES INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINA17 TION. 

18 The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 

19 Attorney General shall coordinate with the Director— 

20 (1) to ensure that Federal training materials 

21 and culturally appropriate mental health and 

22 wellness programs are locally or regionally available 

23 to law enforcement officers working for the Bureau 

24 of Indian Affairs or an Indian Tribe who are experi25 encing occupational stress; and 


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1 (2) to determine whether law enforcement agen2 cies operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and 

3 Indian Tribes are eligible to receive services under— 

4 (A) the Law Enforcement Assistance Pro5 gram of Federal Occupational Health of the 

6 Department of Health and Human Services; or 

7 (B) any other law enforcement assistance 

8 program targeted to meet the needs of law en9 forcement officers working for law enforcement 

10 agencies operated by the Federal Government 

11 or an Indian Tribe. 

12 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

13 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

14 ‘‘Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for Na15 tive Communities Act’’ or the ‘‘BADGES for Native Com16 munities Act’’. 

17 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

18 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

TITLE I—BRIDGING AGENCY DATA GAPS 

Sec. 101. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System Tribal facilitator. 

Sec. 102. Report on Indian country law enforcement personnel resources and 

need. 

TITLE II—ENSURING SAFETY FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES 

Sec. 201. Demonstration program on Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement 

employment background checks. 

Sec. 202. Missing or murdered response coordination grant program. 

Sec. 203. GAO study on Federal law enforcement agency evidence collection, handling, and processing. 


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Sec. 204. Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement officer counseling 

resources interdepartmental coordination. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) DEATH INVESTIGATION.—The term ‘‘death 

4 investigation’’ has the meaning determined by the At5 torney General. 

6 (2) DEATH INVESTIGATION OF INTEREST TO IN7 DIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘death investigation of in8 terest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case involving— 

9 (A) a death investigation into the death of 

10 an Indian; or 

11 (B) a death investigation of a person found 

12 on, in, or adjacent to Indian land or a Village. 

13 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 

14 Deputy Bureau Director of the Office of Justice Serv15 ices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

16 (4) FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.—The 

17 term ‘‘Federal law enforcement agency’’ means the Of18 fice of Justice Services of the Bureau of Indian Af19 fairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and any 

20 other Federal law enforcement agency that— 

21 (A) has jurisdiction over crimes in Indian 

22 country; or 

23 (B) investigates missing persons cases of in24 terest to Indian Tribes, death investigations of 


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1 interest to Indian Tribes, unclaimed human re2 mains cases of interest to Indian Tribes, or un3 identified remains cases of interest to Indian 

4 Tribes. 

5 (5) INDIAN.—The term ‘‘Indian’’ has the mean6 ing given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-De7 termination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 

8 5304). 

9 (6) INDIAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Indian coun10 try’’ has the meaning given the term in section 1151 

11 of title 18, United States Code. 

12 (7) INDIAN LAND.—The term ‘‘Indian land’’ has 

13 the meaning given the term ‘‘Indian lands’’ in section 

14 3 of the Native American Business Development, 

15 Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000 (25 

16 U.S.C. 4302). 

17 (8) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 

18 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the In19 dian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

20 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

21 (9) MISSING PERSONS CASE OF INTEREST TO IN22 DIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘missing persons case of in23 terest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case involving— 

24 (A) a missing Indian; or 


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1 (B) a missing person whose last known lo2 cation is believed to be on, in, or adjacent to In3 dian land or a Village. 

4 (10) NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION DATA5 BASES.—The term ‘‘national crime information data6 bases’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

7 534(f)(3) of title 28, United States Code. 

8 (11) RELEVANT TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The 

9 term ‘‘relevant Tribal organization’’ means, as appli10 cable— 

11 (A) a Tribal organization or an urban In12 dian organization; and 

13 (B) a national or regional organization 

14 that— 

15 (i) represents a substantial Indian con16 stituency; and 

17 (ii) has expertise in the fields of— 

18 (I) human trafficking of Indians; 

19 (II) human trafficking on Indian 

20 land or in a Village; 

21 (III) violence against Indians; 

22 (IV) missing or murdered Indige23 nous persons; or 

24 (V) Tribal justice systems. 


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1 (12) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of the Interior. 

3 (13) SEXUAL VIOLENCE CASE OF INTEREST TO

4 INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘sexual violence case of 

5 interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case involving an 

6 allegation of sexual violence (as defined in section 

7 204(a) of Public Law 90–284 (25 U.S.C. 1304(a))). 

8 (14) TRIBAL JUSTICE OFFICIAL.—The term 

9 ‘‘Tribal justice official’’ has the meaning given the 

10 term ‘‘tribal justice official’’ in section 2 of the In11 dian Law Enforcement Reform Act (25 U.S.C. 2801). 

12 (15) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

13 organization’’ has the meaning given the term in sec14 tion 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu15 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

16 (16) UNCLAIMED HUMAN REMAINS CASE OF IN17 TEREST TO INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘unclaimed 

18 human remains case of interest to Indian Tribes’’ 

19 means a case involving— 

20 (A) unclaimed Indian remains identified by 

21 Federal, Tribal, State, or local law enforcement; 

22 or 

23 (B) unclaimed human remains found on, 

24 in, or adjacent to Indian land or a Village. 


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1 (17) UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS CASE OF INTEREST

2 TO INDIAN TRIBES.—The term ‘‘unidentified remains 

3 case of interest to Indian Tribes’’ means a case in4 volving— 

5 (A) unidentified Indian remains; or 

6 (B) unidentified remains found on, in, or 

7 adjacent to Indian land or a Village. 

8 (18) URBAN INDIAN ORGANIZATION.—The term 

9 ‘‘urban Indian organization’’ has the meaning given 

10 the term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Im11 provement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603). 

12 (19) VILLAGE.—The term ‘‘Village’’ means the 

13 Alaska Native Village Statistical Area covering all or 

14 any portion of a Native village (as defined in section 

15 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 

16 U.S.C. 1602)), as depicted on the applicable Tribal 

17 Statistical Area Program Verification Map of the Bu18 reau of the Census. 

19 TITLE I—BRIDGING AGENCY 

20 DATA GAPS 

21 SEC. 101. NATIONAL MISSING AND UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS 

22 SYSTEM TRIBAL FACILITATOR. 

23 (a) APPOINTMENT.—The Attorney General shall ap24 point 1 or more Tribal facilitators for the National Missing 

25 and Unidentified Persons System. 


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1 (b) DUTIES.—The duties of a Tribal facilitator ap2 pointed under subsection (a) shall include— 

3 (1) coordinating the reporting of information re4 lating to missing persons cases of interest to Indian 

5 Tribes, unclaimed human remains cases of interest to 

6 Indian Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of in7 terest to Indian Tribes; 

8 (2) consulting and coordinating with Indian 

9 Tribes and relevant Tribal organizations to address 

10 the reporting, documentation, and tracking of missing 

11 persons cases of interest to Indian Tribes, unclaimed 

12 human remains cases of Interest to Indian Tribes, 

13 and unidentified remains cases of interest to Indian 

14 Tribes; 

15 (3) developing working relationships, and main16 taining communication, with Indian Tribes and rel17 evant Tribal organizations; 

18 (4) providing technical assistance and training 

19 to Indian Tribes and relevant Tribal organizations, 

20 victim service advocates, medical examiners, coroners, 

21 and Tribal justice officials regarding— 

22 (A) the gathering and reporting of informa23 tion to the National Missing and Unidentified 

24 Persons System; and 


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1 (B) working with non-Tribal law enforce2 ment agencies to encourage missing persons cases 

3 of interest to Indian Tribes, unclaimed human 

4 remains cases of interest to Indian Tribes, and 

5 unidentified remains cases of interest to Indian 

6 Tribes are reported to the National Missing and 

7 Unidentified Persons System; 

8 (5) coordinating with the Office of Tribal Jus9 tice, the Office of Justice Services of the Bureau of In10 dian Affairs, the Executive Office for United States 

11 Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, State 

12 law enforcement agencies, and the National Indian 

13 Country Training Initiative, as necessary; and 

14 (6) conducting other training, information gath15 ering, and outreach activities to improve resolution of 

16 missing persons cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un17 claimed human remains cases of interest to Indian 

18 Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of interest to 

19 Indian Tribes. 

20 (c) REPORTING AND TRANSPARENCY.— 

21 (1) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—During 

22 the 3-year-period beginning on the date of enactment 

23 of this Act, the Attorney General, acting through the 

24 Director of the National Institute of Justice, shall 

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1 ciary, and Appropriations of the Senate and the 

2 Committees on Natural Resources, the Judiciary, and 

3 Appropriations of the House of Representatives an 

4 annual report describing the activities and accom5 plishments of the Tribal facilitators appointed under 

6 subsection (a) during the 1-year period preceding the 

7 date of the report. 

8 (2) PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY.—Annually, the At9 torney General, acting through the Director of the Na10 tional Institute of Justice, shall publish on a website 

11 publicly accessible information describing the activi12 ties and accomplishments of the Tribal facilitators 

13 appointed under subsection (a) during the 1-year pe14 riod preceding the date of the publication. 

15 SEC. 102. REPORT ON INDIAN COUNTRY LAW ENFORCE16 MENT PERSONNEL RESOURCES AND NEED. 

17 (a) OFFICE OF JUSTICE SERVICES OF THE BUREAU

18 OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.—Section 3(c)(16) of the Indian Law 

19 Enforcement Reform Act (25 U.S.C. 2802(c)(16)) is amend20 ed by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(C) a list of the unmet— 

23 ‘‘(i) staffing needs of law enforcement, 

24 corrections, and court personnel, including 

25 criminal investigators, medical examiners, 


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1 coroners, forensic technicians, indigent de2 fense staff, crime victim services staff, and 

3 prosecution staff, at Tribal and Bureau jus4 tice agencies, including the Missing and 

5 Murdered Unit of the Office of Justice Serv6 ices of the Bureau; 

7 ‘‘(ii) replacement and repair needs of 

8 Tribal and Bureau corrections facilities; 

9 ‘‘(iii) infrastructure and capital needs 

10 for Tribal police and court facilities, in11 cluding evidence storage and processing; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(iv) public safety and emergency com14 munications and technology needs, includ15 ing equipment and internet capacity needs; 

16 and’’. 

17 (b) DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.— 

18 (1) DEFINITION OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

19 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.—In this subsection, the 

20 term ‘‘Department of Justice law enforcement agency’’ 

21 means each of— 

22 (A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

23 (B) the Drug Enforcement Administration; 

24 (C) the United States Marshals Service; 


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1 (D) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire2 arms and Explosives; and 

3 (E) the Offices of the United States Attor4 neys. 

5 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each fiscal year, the At6 torney General shall submit to the Committees on In7 dian Affairs, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of 

8 the Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources, 

9 the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the House of 

10 Representatives a report for that fiscal year that in11 cludes— 

12 (A) the number of full-time employees of 

13 each Department of Justice law enforcement 

14 agency that are assigned to work on criminal in15 vestigations and prosecutions in Indian country; 

16 (B) the percentage of time the full-time em17 ployees, as identified under subparagraph (A), 

18 spend specifically working in Indian country; 

19 (C) the turnover rate during the 5-year pe20 riod preceding the report of full-time employees 

21 assigned to work on criminal investigations and 

22 prosecutions in Indian country; 

23 (D) the average years of experience at the 

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1 signed to work on criminal investigations and 

2 prosecutions in Indian country; 

3 (E) the number of vacant positions with re4 sponsibilities for criminal investigations and 

5 prosecutions in Indian country; 

6 (F) an identification of expertise and skills 

7 necessary to achieve the strategic goals of the De8 partment of Justice relating to public safety in 

9 Indian country; 

10 (G) an estimate of the number of employees 

11 needed with specific skills and competencies to 

12 fulfill responsibilities assigned for criminal in13 vestigations and prosecutions in Indian country; 

14 and 

15 (H) a list of measures identified to indicate 

16 whether and how the Department of Justice 

17 plans to execute its hiring, retention, and train18 ing strategies. 

19 (3) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.— 

20 (A) STUDY.— 

21 (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 

22 months after the date on which the first an23 nual report is submitted under paragraph 

24 (2), the Comptroller General of the United 

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1 ing identified by the Department of Justice 

2 law enforcement agencies tasked with work 

3 on criminal investigations and prosecutions 

4 in Indian country. 

5 (ii) REQUIREMENT.—In conducting the 

6 study required under clause (i), the Comp7 troller General of the United States shall 

8 take into account the results of the most re9 cent report, as of the date of enactment of 

10 this Act, relating to Indian country inves11 tigations and prosecutions prepared by the 

12 Attorney General pursuant to section 10(b) 

13 of the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act 

14 (25 U.S.C. 2809(b)). 

15 (B) REPORT.—On completion of the review 

16 under subparagraph (A), the Comptroller Gen17 eral of the United States shall submit to the 

18 Committees on Indian Affairs, the Judiciary, 

19 and Appropriations of the Senate and the Com20 mittees on Natural Resources, the Judiciary, and 

21 Appropriations of the House of Representatives a 

22 report that describes the results of the study, in23 cluding, as appropriate, proposals for methods 

24 by which the Department of Justice can better 

25 measure its unmet staffing and other needs for 


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1 Department of Justice law enforcement agencies 

2 tasked with work on criminal investigations and 

3 prosecutions in Indian country. 

4 TITLE II—ENSURING SAFETY 

5 FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES 

6 SEC. 201. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON BUREAU OF IN7 DIAN AFFAIRS LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOY8 MENT BACKGROUND CHECKS. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMONSTRATION PRO10 GRAM.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

12 a demonstration program for the purpose of con13 ducting or adjudicating, in coordination with the Di14 rector, personnel background investigations for appli15 cants for law enforcement positions in the Bureau of 

16 Indian Affairs. 

17 (2) BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND SECU18 RITY CLEARANCE DETERMINATIONS.— 

19 (A) BIA INVESTIGATIONS.—As part of the 

20 demonstration program established under para21 graph (1), the Secretary may carry out a back22 ground investigation, security clearance deter23 mination, or both a background investigation 

24 and a security clearance determination for an 


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1 applicant for a law enforcement position in the 

2 Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

3 (B) AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary may 

4 enter into a memorandum of agreement with a 

5 State or local government, Indian Tribe, or Trib6 al organization to develop steps to expedite the 

7 process of receiving and obtaining access to in8 formation pertinent to background investigation 

9 and security clearance determinations for use in 

10 the demonstration program. 

11 (3) SUNSET.—The demonstration program estab12 lished under paragraph (1) shall terminate 5 years 

13 after the date of the commencement of the demonstra14 tion program. 

15 (b) SUFFICIENCY.—Notwithstanding any other provi16 sion of law, a background investigation conducted or adju17 dicated by the Secretary pursuant to the demonstration pro18 gram established under subsection (a)(1) that results in the 

19 granting of a security clearance to an applicant for a law 

20 enforcement position in the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall 

21 be sufficient to meet the applicable requirements of the Of22 fice of Personnel Management or other Federal agency for 

23 such investigations. 

24 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date on 

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1 section (a)(1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees 

2 on Indian Affairs, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the 

3 Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources, the Judi4 ciary, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives 

5 a report on the demonstration program, which shall include 

6 a description of— 

7 (1) the demonstration program and any rec8 ommended changes or updates to the demonstration 

9 program, including whether the demonstration pro10 gram should be reauthorized; 

11 (2) the number of background investigations car12 ried out under the demonstration program; 

13 (3) the costs, including any cost savings, associ14 ated with the investigation and adjudication process 

15 under the demonstration program; 

16 (4) the processing times for the investigation and 

17 adjudication processes under the demonstration pro18 gram; and 

19 (5) any other information that the Secretary de20 termines to be relevant. 

21 SEC. 202. MISSING OR MURDERED RESPONSE COORDINA22 TION GRANT PROGRAM. 

23 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.—The At24 torney General shall establish within the Office of Justice 

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1 eral shall make grants to eligible entities described in sub2 section (b) to carry out eligible activities described in sub3 section (c). 

4 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

6 grant under the grant program established under sub7 section (a) an entity shall be— 

8 (A) an Indian Tribe; 

9 (B) a relevant Tribal organization; 

10 (C) subject to paragraph (2), a State, in 

11 consortium with— 

12 (i) 1 or more Indian Tribes; and 

13 (ii) relevant Tribal organizations, if 

14 any; 

15 (D) a consortium of 2 or more Indian 

16 Tribes or relevant Tribal organizations; or 

17 (E) subject to paragraph (2), a consortium 

18 of 2 or more States in consortium with— 

19 (i) 1 or more Indian Tribes; and 

20 (ii) relevant Tribal organizations, if 

21 any. 

22 (2) STATE ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible under 

23 subparagraph (C) or (E) of paragraph (1), a State 

24 shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Attorney 

25 General that the State— 


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1 (A)(i) reports missing persons cases in the 

2 State to the national crime information data3 bases; or 

4 (ii) if not, has a plan to do so using a 

5 grant received under the grant program estab6 lished under subsection (a); and 

7 (B) if data sharing between the State and 

8 the Indian Tribes and relevant Tribal organiza9 tions with which the State is in consortium is 

10 part of the intended use of the grant received 

11 under the grant program established under sub12 section (a), has entered into a memorandum of 

13 understanding with each applicable Indian 

14 Tribe and relevant Tribal organization. 

15 (c) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity receiv16 ing a grant under the grant program established under sub17 section (a) may use the grant— 

18 (1) to establish a statewide or regional center— 

19 (A) to document and track— 

20 (i) missing persons cases of interest to 

21 Indian Tribes; 

22 (ii) sexual violence cases of interest to 

23 Indian Tribes; and 

24 (iii) death investigations of interest to 

25 Indian Tribes; and 


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1 (B) to input information regarding missing 

2 persons cases of interest to Indian Tribes, un3 claimed human remains cases of interest to In4 dian Tribes, and unidentified remains cases of 

5 interest to Indian Tribes into the National Miss6 ing and Unidentified Persons System and the 

7 Missing Persons File in the National Crime In8 formation Center; 

9 (2) to establish a State or regional commission 

10 to respond to, and to improve coordination between 

11 Federal law enforcement agencies, and Tribal, State, 

12 and local law enforcement agencies of the investiga13 tion of, missing persons cases of interest to Indian 

14 Tribes, sexual violence cases of interest to Indian 

15 Tribes, and death investigations of interest to Indian 

16 Tribes; and 

17 (3) to document, develop, and disseminate re18 sources for the coordination and improvement of the 

19 investigation of missing persons cases of interest to 

20 Indian Tribes, sexual violence cases of interest to In21 dian Tribes, and death investigations of interest to 

22 Indian Tribes, including to develop local or statewide 

23 rapid notification or communication systems for 

24 alerts and other information relating to those cases. 


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1 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the grant pro3 gram established under subsection (a)(1) $1,000,000 for 

4 each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 

5 SEC. 203. GAO STUDY ON FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 

6 AGENCY EVIDENCE COLLECTION, HANDLING, 

7 AND PROCESSING. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

9 United States shall conduct a study— 

10 (1) on the evidence collection, handling, response 

11 times, and processing procedures and practices of the 

12 Office of Justice Services of the Bureau of Indian Af13 fairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in exer14 cising jurisdiction over crimes involving Indians or 

15 committed in Indian country; 

16 (2) on barriers to evidence collection, handling, 

17 response times, and processing identified by the agen18 cies referred to in paragraph (1); 

19 (3) on the views of law enforcement officials at 

20 the agencies referred to in paragraph (1) and their 

21 counterparts within the Offices of the United States 

22 Attorneys concerning any relationship between— 

23 (A) the barriers identified under paragraph 

24 (2); and 


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1 (B) United States Attorneys declination 

2 rates due to insufficient evidence; and 

3 (4) that includes a description of barriers to evi4 dence collection, handling, response times, and proc5 essing identified and faced by— 

6 (A) Tribal law enforcement agencies; and 

7 (B) State and local law enforcement agen8 cies that exercise jurisdiction over Indian coun9 try. 

10 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date 

11 of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 

12 United States shall submit to the Committees on Indian 

13 Affairs, the Judiciary, and Appropriations of the Senate 

14 and the Committees on Natural Resources, the Judiciary, 

15 and Appropriations of the House of Representatives a re16 port describing the results of the study conducted under sub17 section (a). 

18 SEC. 204. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND TRIBAL LAW EN19 FORCEMENT OFFICER COUNSELING RE20 SOURCES INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINA21 TION. 

22 The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 

23 Attorney General shall coordinate with the Director— 

24 (1) to ensure that Federal training materials 

25 and culturally appropriate mental health and 


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1 wellness programs are locally or regionally available 

2 to law enforcement officers working for the Office of 

3 Justice Services of the Bureau of Indian Affairs or an 

4 Indian Tribe; and 

5 (2) to determine whether law enforcement agen6 cies operated by the Office of Justice Services of the 

7 Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Tribes are eligi8 ble to receive services under— 

9 (A) the Law Enforcement Assistance Pro10 gram of Federal Occupational Health of the De11 partment of Health and Human Services; or 

12 (B) any other law enforcement assistance 

13 program targeted to meet the needs of law en14 forcement officers working for law enforcement 

15 agencies operated by the Federal Government or 

16 an Indian Tribe. 


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Calendar No. 559 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 465 

[Report No. 118–244] 

A BILL 

To require Federal law enforcement agencies to reand for other purposes. port on cases of missing or murdered Indians, 

NOVEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported with an amendment 


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