DURANT Okla. (KTEN) -- Newly-introduced federal legislation would provide more resources to tribal law enforcement.

The BADGES for Native Communities Act, backed by Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole (R-District 4) would fund data and information sharing between state, federal, and tribal authorities.

"It's going to give us some access to BIA [Bureau of Indian Affairs] for background checks, for law enforcement officers... kind of speed up that process," said Michael Haggerty, chief of the Choctaw Nation Criminal Division. "It will have us share information with our federal and state partners."

Since the Supreme Court's 2020 ruling in the McGirt v. Oklahoma case, tribal judicial systems have faced challenges. 

"What we have run into since the McGirt decision and the expansion of our resources is, we have all these roadblocks because we are not used to sharing all that information, and oftentimes we find ourselves duplicating efforts, or one agency doesn't know what the other is doing," Haggerty explained.

Haggerty believes the bill will help victims receive justice.

"Accomplish the goals that we are trying the best way possible, which is to keep the reservation as safe as possible," Haggerty said.