BADGES for Native Communities Act

Bill: 116-s-1853
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Introduced: 2019-06-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Crimes against children
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Justice
Department of the Interior
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Employee hiring
Evidence and witnesses
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Federal-Indian relations
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health promotion and preventive care
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Mental health
Minority health
Missing persons
Personnel records
State and local government operations
Violent crime
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-13
text: 

Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for Native Communities Act or the BADGES for Native Communities Act

 
This bill modifies policies and procedures related to information sharing, reporting and investigation of missing, unidentified, and murdered Native Americans. Among other elements, the bill requires the Department of Justice to do the following:
 
 
share information with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) on missing persons and unidentified remains,
 
ensure technical assistance and training are provided to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribal law enforcement agencies to utilize the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and other national databases,
 
establish the Tribal Access Program to enhance the ability of tribal governments to access and enter information into federal criminal information databases,
 
establish a grant program for specified entities to implement changes to enhance response to missing person and murder cases of interest to tribes, and
 
work with the Indian Health Service and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to ensure resources for mental health wellness programs are available to tribal and BIA law enforcement officers experiencing occupational stress.
 
 
The bill expands access to (1) the national crime information database for NamUs, and (2) the NCIC for each tribal justice official.
 
Finally, the bill requires the Department of the Interior to 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.

action_date: 2020-06-04
text: 

Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for Native Communities Act or the BADGES for Native Communities Act

 
This bill modifies 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
 
 
share information, after receiving certain permission, with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) on missing persons, unclaimed remains, and unidentified remains; 
 
ensure that technical assistance and training are provided to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribal law enforcement agencies to utilize the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and other national databases; 
 
establish the Tribal Civil and Criminal Information Access Program to enhance the ability of tribal governments to access, enter information into, and obtain information from federal criminal information databases; 
 
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 
 
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 BIA law enforcement officers experiencing occupational stress. 

 
The bill expands access to (1) the national crime information database for NamUs, and (2) the NCIC for each tribal justice official. 
 
Finally, 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. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-06-04
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 476.
action_date: 2020-06-04
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-230.
action_date: 2020-06-04
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-230.
action_date: 2019-12-11
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2019-06-19
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2019-06-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2019-06-13
text: Introduced in Senate