Suzanne’s Law
Suzanne’s Law
In 2003 former President George W. Bush signed into law “Suzanne’s Law,” requiring police to notify the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) when someone between 18 and 21 is reported missing, as part of the national “Amber Alert” bill. Previously police were only required to report missing persons under the age of 18. Any person under the age of 21 is considered a missing child. Many law enforcement agencies are still unaware of the change in the law and their increased responsibilities. In addition to filing the information with NCIC the law enforcement agency is able to file a report with National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and receive services such as poster creation and age enhancement technology. Also, the police are now able to enter long term missing persons up to the age of 21 who were reported missing before the law went into effect. This federal law is named for Suzanne Lyall, a State University of New York at Albany student who has been missing since 1998.
The Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act
In August, 2008, former President Bush signed a bill that requires colleges to have policies outlining the role of each law enforcement agency -- campus, local and state -- in investigating a violent crime on campus.
The legislation, an amendment to the larger Higher Education Opportunity Act, is called the Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act. It is designed to minimize delays and confusion during an initial investigation. A related law was enacted on the state level in 1999. New York's Campus Safety Act, also prompted by Lyall's disappearance, requires all colleges in the state "to have formal plans that provide for the investigation of missing students and violent felony offenses committed on campus."
Billy's Law or the Help Find the Missing Act
Public Law No: 117-327 (12/27/2022)
This act provides statutory authority for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to maintain the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) consistent with its existing purpose and structure.
NamUs is a national information clearinghouse and resource center for cases involving missing persons and unidentified or unclaimed remains. NamUs is administered by the National Institute of Justice within DOJ.
The act also establishes new requirements.
First, it requires a law enforcement agency that submits a missing child report to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to also submit the missing child report to NamUs. The NCIC is a computerized index of criminal justice data and files for reports of missing and unidentified persons. Current law requires law enforcement agencies to submit missing child reports to the NCIC database but not to the NamUs databases.
Second, the act establishes requirements to facilitate data sharing between the NCIC database and the NamUs databases with respect to missing and unidentified persons.
Specifically, the act requires DOJ to give the National Institute of Justice access to the NCIC missing person and unidentified person records for the purpose of validating cases and reconciling data with NamUs.
Additionally, the act requires DOJ to assess the NCIC and NamUs systems and governing statutes, policies, and procedures and create a plan for NCIC to automatically transmit certain records to NamUs.
Third, the act requires DOJ to report to forensic medicine service providers and law enforcement agencies on best practices for collecting, reporting, and analyzing data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains.
DOJ must also report to Congress biennially on the status of the NCIC database and the NamUs databases. The report must describe the process of information sharing between the NCIC database and NamUs databases.
House Bill 930
House Bill 930
Senate Passes Legislation to Aid in the Search for Missing Persons
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2022
(HARRISBURG) - The Pennsylvania Senate has approved House Bill 930, by a vote of 42 to 7. Under the proposal, Pennsylvania would become the 11th state for law enforcement to collect and submit DNA samples of missing persons or unidentified remains through a secure database, to the Pennsylvania State Police, and then to be shared with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS). Senator Baker offered remarks on the Senate Floor, emphasizing the importance of this bill, and how it can help the families of missing persons.
Video: Senator Baker Remarks- https://pascn.wistia.corn/medias/lm3kffv3al
"Like the sponsors of House Bill 930, there have been several families in my district over the years, who I have met with regarding their lost loved ones. The families of Shelva Rafte and Phylicia Thomas have become advocates for missing persons. Nearly seven years ago, two sisters of Shelva, Joanne Decker and Shirley Masters, took their pain and channeled it into helping others, through the creation of 'Lead Me Home Today', a non-profit organization.
"When a loved one vanishes, be it family, friend, co-worker, or neighbor, it creates an unimaginable void. The harsh reality is that 600,000 people go missing each year, and while most people return home, many tragically do not.
"Thanks to technological advances in the world of criminal justice and investigation, law enforcement and investigators are able to increase their success of finding fugitives, keeping tabs on wrongdoers, and shining new light on old crimes. The legislation that we are advancing will help to provide law enforcement with a secure and necessary tool, while also giving hope to the numerous families and friends who want and deserve answers."
