04/10/2025

House Bill 217

Lead Sponsors: Representative Christine Cockley and Representative Kevin Ritter

Status: Second hearing in House Public Safety (June 17, 2025)

Description: The bill requires law enforcement agencies, if a missing child is not located within 30 days of when the agency received the missing child report, to integrate all relevant information into NamUs. The same 30 day threshold applies to individuals aged 18 to 20 and to those 21 and older.

When a missing person is located, the agency must integrate the fact that they are no longer missing into NamUs.

The bill also requires the Attorney General to include information regarding the use of NamUs in missing persons case best practices materials that the Attorney General is already required to produce.

NamUs is the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System created and maintained by the US Department of Justice.

The Legislative Service Commission's fiscal analysis does not provide specific estimates. Still, it states that larger law enforcement agencies with a greater volume of missing persons reports may incur greater costs due to the lack of automation between federal systems.

CCAO Position: No position (as of October 2025)