Rep. Dan Newhouse
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on March 12 marked up and approved a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) that would advance public safety services to Native American communities.
“I am proud to have this bill move out of committee, and I thank Chairman Bruce Westerman for his support on such an important issue to tribes in central Washington and across the country,” Rep. Newhouse said on Tuesday.
The committee-approved Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act, H.R. 4524, which Rep. Newhouse sponsored in July 2023 with 10 original cosponsors, would authorize tribal officers acting under a 638 contract or compact to be considered federal law enforcement officers who could then enforce federal law, provided they meet certain qualifications, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s staff.
By doing so, this action would eliminate the need for Indian tribes to enter Special Law Enforcement Commission (SLEC) agreements, which are currently required under existing law for tribal officers to enforce federal law and have proven administratively burdensome for tribes to obtain, the summary says.
“This legislation is key in improving hiring and retention among tribal law enforcement that are facing numerous challenges, including missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, as well as the radically worsening opioid crisis,” said Rep. Newhouse. “I want to make sure they have the resources they need to confront these issues head on.”
Additionally, H.R. 4524 would treat these contracted tribal law enforcement officers as federal law enforcement officers for purposes of other federal laws, including for injury, death, retirement, and pension benefits, states the summary.
H.R. 4524, which remains under consideration in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, currently has 17 cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Tom Cole (R-OK), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Pete Stauber (R-MN), John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Derek Kilmer (D-WA).