Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2174
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2019-07-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration
Congressional oversight
Crime victims
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Emergency communications systems
Evidence and witnesses
Federal-Indian relations
Genetics
Government studies and investigations
Health information and medical records
Intergovernmental relations
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Missing persons
Right of privacy
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2019-07-18
text: 

Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2019

 
This bill revises the authority for state grants to improve the reporting of unidentified and missing persons. 
 
Specifically, the bill
 
 
authorizes grants to be used for additional activities (e.g., transportation of missing persons and unidentified remains), including with respect to migrants;
 
expands eligible entities; and
 
gives priority to eligible entities in states along the southern border.
 
 
The bill also requires the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deploy rescue beacons along the southern border to mitigate migrant deaths.

action_date: 2020-12-31
text: 

Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2019

 
This bill revises the authority for state grants to improve the reporting of unidentified and missing persons. 
 
The bill authorizes grants to be used for additional activities. In particular, grants may be used to improve the transportation, processing, and identification of missing persons and unidentified remains, including with respect to migrants. Further, the bill expands eligible entities to include local governments, medical examiners' offices, certain accredited and publicly funded laboratories, and certain nonprofit organizations.
 
In addition, the bill expands the allowable uses of grant funds to include costs related to transportation, hiring, and procuring forensic equipment.
 
The bill requires any DNA reference sample that is received from a suspected biological family member and uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System to be used only for identifying missing persons and unidentified remains.
 
Next, the bill requires the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to purchase, deploy, and maintain no more than 170 rescue beacons along the southern border to mitigate migrant deaths.
 
The bill also requires the CBP, the Department of Justice, and the Government Accountability Office to submit specified reports to Congress.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-12-31
text: Became Public Law No: 116-277.
action_date: 2020-12-31
text: Became Public Law No: 116-277.
action_date: 2020-12-31
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2020-12-31
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2020-12-21
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2020-12-21
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2020-12-20
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2020-12-18
text: Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 2174 by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7828)
action_date: 2020-12-18
text: Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendments to S. 2174 by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2020-12-17
text: Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
action_date: 2020-12-16
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2020-12-16
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2020-12-16
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7217-7218)
action_date: 2020-12-16
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 H7217-7218)
action_date: 2020-12-16
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2174.
action_date: 2020-12-16
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7217-7219)
action_date: 2020-12-16
text: Ms. Scanlon moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2020-11-17
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2020-11-17
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2020-11-17
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S6714-6715)
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S6714-6715)
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6714-6715)
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2020-11-16
text: Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2019-07-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2019-07-18
text: Introduced in Senate

Enacted as: number: 116-277