S. 1853

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.