PROTECT Act of 2025

This bill aims to improve safety in Indian Country by giving Tribal courts clearer tools to fight crime and get modern digital evidence. It lets Tribal courts issue warrants to get emails, texts, and other electronic records from service providers, similar to state and federal courts, and updates related notice and civil action rules so they apply to Tribal courts too. It also updates the video privacy law to include Indian Tribes. Together, these changes make it easier for Tribal police and prosecutors to get the records they need in cases like trafficking and other serious crimes, while keeping privacy protections in place .

The bill also expands Tribal criminal jurisdiction so Tribes can prosecute more drug crimes (like trafficking, unlawful possession, and paraphernalia) and certain firearms offenses tied to covered crimes or by someone with a past domestic violence conviction. It adds these to the list of covered crimes under existing Tribal authority. Finally, it makes a change to the federal Tribal Prisoner Program run by the Bureau of Prisons, which affects how people sentenced by Tribal courts are held. These steps aim to help Tribes hold dangerous offenders accountable and protect victims at home on reservations.

• Who is affected: People living on reservations, crime victims, Tribal governments and courts, and internet/phone service providers .
• What changes: Tribal courts can get electronic records with their own warrants; Tribes can prosecute more drug and gun crimes; video privacy rules are updated to include Tribes; and there’s an adjustment to the federal Tribal Prisoner Program .
• When: The provided text does not specify an effective date .