President Signs Tribal Law and Order Act

Press Release

This afternoon, President Obama signed into law The Tribal Law and Order Act, introduced by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in the House and Senator Byron Dorgan in the Senate.

Herseth Sandlin, who attended the signing ceremony at the White House today, said, "I am so proud to see my legislation, the Tribal Law and Order Act, signed into law because the need is so great in Indian Country. It is meaningful because of the potential it holds for improving law enforcement for South Dakota families. Native American families deserve to feel the same safety and security in their communities that some of the rest of us can take for granted. This new law is a step in the right direction to achieving that goal. We've still got a lot of work ahead of us but today marks a significant milestone in a long process -- and it's great news for South Dakota."

Herseth Sandlin added, "I was proud to work in consultation with South Dakota's nine sovereign Sioux Tribes to improve this bill throughout the legislative process, and I join with them today in celebrating this historic achievement."

The Tribal Law and Order Act passed the House of Representatives on July 21, 2010. The law strengthens tribal law enforcement, establishes accountability measures for Federal agencies responsible for investigating and prosecuting reservation crime, and provides tribes with additional tools to combat crime locally.

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