118TH CONGRESS Legislative UPDATE
8 Must-Know Updates for June 2024
1. DOJ and DOI Release Response to Not Invisible Act Commission Recommendations
On March 5, the Departments of the Interior and Justice released their response to the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC)’s recommendations for actions the federal government can take to address the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked American Indians and Alaska Natives. To learn more about the Not Invisible Act and the Commission, please read NIWRC’s fact sheet and visit the NIAC Hub page: bit.ly/niac-hub.
2. Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act Introduced in the House
On April 14, Representative Wagner (R-MO-2), joined by Representatives Moran (R-TX-1), Dingell (DMI-6), Bice (R-OK-5), and Costa (D-CA-21), introduced the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024 (H.R. 8061). The bill redirects unobligated funds collected through the False Claims Act to the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through FY2029 to provide victim service programs and organizations with the funding needed to support survivors of violence.
3. Senate Listening Session on Public Safety in Native Communities
On March 20, the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hybrid listening session on public safety and justice resources in Native communities. Tribal leaders, advocates, organizations, and members of the public testified in front of Committee staff about the wide range of public safety challenges in Indian country. This testimony will inform the Committee’s work and serve as a resource for future public safety discussions.
4. Appropriations Bills Signed Into Law
On March 9, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 4366) into law. The bill includes 6 of the 12 regular FY2024 appropriation bills, including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. The bill provides:
- $713 million for Office on Violence Against Women: Violence Against Women Prevention & Prosecution Programs.
- $4 million for the Tribal Access Program (TAP).
- $11 million for programs to assist Tribal Governments in exercising special Tribal criminal jurisdiction.
- $1.353 billion for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) (about a $630 million cut to VOCA grants compared to FY23).
- $240 million for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, including a $7 million supplement for Indian Tribes.
On March 23, the President signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 2882) into law. The bill includes 6 of the 12 FY2024 appropriations bills, including the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024.
5. Tribal Community Protection Act Introduced in the House
Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA-30) and Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) introduced the Tribal Community Protection Act (H.R. 7826). The bill would address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people on Tribal lands by creating an incentive through Byrne Justice Assistance Grants to states and localities that both:
- Submit written notification to tribes about restraining orders (ROs) and temporary restraining orders (TROs) so that they can be enforced by tribal law enforcement on tribal land and
- Accept and enforce tribal ROs and TROs, in turn.
6. Legislation to Protect Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence from Economic Abuse Introduced
On February 29, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) introduced the Survivor Financial Safety and Inclusion Working Group Act (S. 3835/H.R. 7510) to increase support for survivors of intimate partner violence within the financial system through the creation of an interagency working group. The working group, comprised of federal financial regulators and stakeholders, will collect data on the impacts of economic abuse on survivors and provide recommendations on how Congress and federal regulators can help improve existing services and create new ones to meet the needs of survivors.
7. Group of Senators Send Letter to Attorney General About Prosecutorial Declinations in Indian Country
On March 14, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the high rates of prosecutorial declinations in Indian country. The Senators ask questions about the reasons cited for prosecutorial declinations, communication to families and victims about such decisions, and coordination and information sharing between the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior on cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people.
8. 19th Annual Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation Invitation Released
The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women released the Dear Tribal Leader Letter inviting Tribal leaders and their designated representatives to the 19th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation. This year’s consultation will be held in person from November 19-21, 2024, at the Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder in Santa Fe, NM. More information about consultation will be available at https://www.ovwconsultation.org/.
Written testimony is due by Monday, December 23, 2024. OVW has provided a toolkit for information about providing oral and written testimony.
