Cole, Newhouse, Cook unveil bipartisan bill to improve safety for Native Americans

U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Paul Cook (R-CA), and Tom Cole (R-OK) are original cosponsors of a newly introduced bipartisan bill to require federal law enforcement agencies to report on cases of missing or murdered Native American Indians.

The lawmakers on Sept. 11 introduced the Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act, H.R. 4289, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) to also end violence against native tribal women and address the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis.

“This bill strengthens our tribal communities’ ability to enforce public safety by addressing the lack of resources and the shortage of qualified law enforcement personnel facing native communities in central Washington and across the country,” Rep. Newhouse said. “I will continue to work to bring justice for indigenous women and their families and look forward to this legislation being signed into law.”

Rep. Newhouse added that Native American communities and law enforcement agencies have struggled for years to access coordinated federal crime data, which would help them more effectively investigate cases.

If enacted, H.R. 4289 would address inefficiencies in federal criminal databases; increase tribal access to those databases; and improve public data on missing and murdered Indigenous women cases and Indian Country law enforcement staffing levels, according to a bill summary.

“By streamlining federal criminal database coordination and incentivizing efforts to recruit more law enforcement officials, the BADGES Act represents a necessary step toward making Native American communities safer,” said Rep. Tom Cole.

Additionally, H.R. 4289 would promote more efficient recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers at the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs; provide tribes with resources to improve public safety coordination between their governments, states and federal agencies; and mitigate the mishandling of evidence, according to the summary.

“Although we have made strides in the right direction, more can still be done,” said Rep. Cole. “Far too often, tribal members suffer the consequences of the dysfunctional relationship between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Institute of Justice.”

Rep. Cook said the bill also would “initiate studies and demonstration programs that will ensure safety for Native American communities.”

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this critical legislation,” added Rep. Cook.