WASHINGTON (United States): The United States Senate has unanimously approved the Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety for Native Communities Act (BADGES Act), a legislation aimed at strengthening responses to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. The Act will now be sent to the US House of Representatives for consideration.
The bill requires federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to report cases involving missing or murdered Indigenous persons and establishes a grant program to help states, Tribes and Tribal organizations improve coordination in missing persons and sexual assault investigations. It expands Tribal access to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System through the designation of Tribal facilitators responsible for training, outreach and coordination with law enforcement agencies.
The legislation also directs the federal government to produce a comprehensive assessment of Tribal law enforcement needs, including staffing levels, facilities, equipment and emergency communications infrastructure. It authorizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs to conduct its own background investigations for police applicants, a step intended to address persistent officer shortages in Indian Country, and provides for culturally appropriate mental health and wellness support for BIA and Tribal officers.
Advocates say the measure addresses long-standing failures in data collection and interagency coordination that have contributed to low clearance rates in cases involving Indigenous victims. Native American and Alaska Native people face disproportionately high rates of violence and disappearance, with families often reporting delayed responses and jurisdictional confusion among law enforcement agencies.
The BADGES Act builds on earlier federal efforts such as Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act, which sought to improve data sharing and elevate Indigenous voices in policy responses. Supporters describe the bill as a further step toward closing systemic gaps and improving public safety in Tribal communities nationwide.
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