Billy's Law

Bill: 111-hr-3695
Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT-5]
Introduced: 2009-10-01 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Crimes against children
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Justice
Evidence and witnesses
Government information and archives
Law enforcement administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2009-10-01
text: 
Help Find the Missing Act or Billy's Law - Authorizes the Attorney General to maintain public databases, known as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs, to contain missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to assist in identifying missing people and solve cases of unidentified human remains. 
 
Directs the Attorney General to: (1) share information on missing persons and unidentified human remains contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing and Unidentified Person File database with the NamUs database; (2) update the online data entry format for such databases to allow states to report information to each database; (3) establish a grant program to assist in the reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains information to the NCIC and NamUs databases; (4) issue a report to the offices of medical examiners, offices of coroners, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies describing the best practices for collecting, reporting, and analyzing data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains; and (5) report to Congress on the status of the NCIC Missing and Unidentified Person File and NamUs databases. 
 
Amends the National Child Search Assistance Act of 1990 to require reports of missing children (under age 21) to NamUs databases.

action_date: 2010-02-22
text: 
Help Find the Missing Act or Billy's Law - (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Attorney General to maintain public databases, known as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs, to contain missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to assist in identifying missing people and solving cases of unidentified human remains. Transfers to NamUs all functions, personnel, assets, liabilities, and administrative actions carried out by the National Institute of Justice that are applicable to NamUs.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2016.
 
(Sec. 3) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) share information on missing persons and unidentified human remains contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database with the NamUs databases; (2) promulgate rules to provide for the protection of law enforcement sensitive, confidential, and private information contained in the NCIC database; and (3) update the online data entry format for the NCIC database and NamUs databases to facilitate the entry of new information into such databases.
 
Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require that reports of missing children (individuals under the age of 21) submitted to the NCIC database are also submitted to NamUs.
 
(Sec. 4) Directs the Attorney General to establish a grant program to assist state law enforcement agencies, offices of coroners, offices of medical examiners, and other authorized agencies in reporting information on missing persons and unidentified remains to the NCIC and NamUs databases for the purpose of locating such missing persons and identifying such remains. Imposes requirements on grantees for reporting missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to the databases and for submitting certain types of information, including DNA samples, dental records, and finger prints. Allows the use of grant funds for hiring and training additional personnel, outsourcing, and facilitating the transfer of data from NCIC to NamUs databases.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015.
 
(Sec. 5) Requires the Attorney General to issue a report within one year after the enactment of this Act to the offices of medical examiners, offices of coroners, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies describing the best practices for the collection, reporting, and analysis of data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains. 
 
(Sec. 6) Requires the Attorney General to submit a report within one year after the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, describing the status of the NCIC database and the NamUs databases.

action_date: 2010-02-23
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on February 22, 2010. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Help Find the Missing Act or Billy's Law - (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Attorney General to maintain public databases, known as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs, to contain missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to assist in identifying missing people and solving cases of unidentified human remains. Transfers to NamUs all functions, personnel, assets, liabilities, and administrative actions carried out by the National Institute of Justice that are applicable to NamUs.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2016.
 
(Sec. 3) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) share information on missing persons and unidentified human remains contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database with the NamUs databases; (2) promulgate rules to provide for the protection of law enforcement sensitive, confidential, and private information contained in the NCIC database; and (3) update the online data entry format for the NCIC database and NamUs databases to facilitate the entry of new information into such databases.
 
Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require that reports of missing children (individuals under the age of 21) submitted to the NCIC database are also submitted to NamUs.
 
(Sec. 4) Directs the Attorney General to establish a grant program to assist state law enforcement agencies, offices of coroners, offices of medical examiners, and other authorized agencies in reporting information on missing persons and unidentified remains to the NCIC and NamUs databases for the purpose of locating such missing persons and identifying such remains. Imposes requirements on grantees for reporting missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to the databases and for submitting certain types of information, including DNA samples, dental records, and finger prints. Allows the use of grant funds for hiring and training additional personnel, outsourcing, and facilitating the transfer of data from NCIC to NamUs databases.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015.
 
(Sec. 5) Requires the Attorney General to issue a report within one year after the enactment of this Act to the offices of medical examiners, offices of coroners, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies describing the best practices for the collection, reporting, and analysis of data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains. 
 
(Sec. 6) Requires the Attorney General to submit a report within one year after the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, describing the status of the NCIC database and the NamUs databases.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-02-24
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2010-02-23
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2010-02-23
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H683-685)
action_date: 2010-02-23
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H683-685)
action_date: 2010-02-23
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3695.
action_date: 2010-02-23
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H683-687)
action_date: 2010-02-23
text: Mr. Scott (VA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2010-02-22
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 242.
action_date: 2010-02-22
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-416.
action_date: 2010-02-22
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-416.
action_date: 2010-01-27
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2010-01-27
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2010-01-21
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-10-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-10-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-10-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-10-01
text: Introduced in House