PASSED: House Approves Gallego’s Native American Child Protection Act with Overwhelming Bipartisan Support
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) applauded passage of his Native American Child Protection Act (NACPA) by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill passed by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 378-32.
“For too long, Congress has failed to uphold its promise to address the disproportionate levels of child abuse in Tribal communities,” said Rep. Gallego, former Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. “My bipartisan Native American Child Protection Act corrects that by providing Tribes the resources they need to prevent, prosecute, and treat instances of family violence and child abuse. John McCain led this effort when he was in the Senate, and I am proud to carry the torch on this issue. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill signed into law.”
The programs revised by NACPA were originally established in 1990 and passed as part of then-Senator John McCain's Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act. Building off this, NACPA would protect Native children through several provisions. The bill:
- Creates a National Indian Child Resource and Family Services Center that will provide technical assistance and training to Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations.
- Requires the development of model intergovernmental agreements between tribes and states to prevent, investigate, treat, and prosecute family violence.
- Revises the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Program to allow funding to be used for additional activities such as operational costs for child protective services.
- Includes urban Indian organizations as eligible entities and encourages culturally appropriate treatment services and programs.
In February, Rep. Gallego held a press conference with Arizona Tribal leaders to push for the bill’s passage.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate.