Bill > H2132

This bill aims to establish procedures for law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts to handle reports and investigations related to missing persons. The key provisions are: 1. All law enforcement agencies must accept missing person reports without delay, regardless of the circumstances or relationship of the reporting party to the missing person. They must attempt to gather detailed information about the missing person at the time of the report. 2. Law enforcement agencies must promptly assess whether a missing person is considered "high-risk" based on certain criteria, such as abduction, suspicious circumstances, or the person being a minor or having a medical condition. High-risk cases must be reported to state authorities within 24 hours for coordinated statewide efforts to locate the person. 3. The bill outlines requirements for law enforcement and the medical examiner's office to handle cases of unidentified human remains, including preserving evidence, conducting DNA analysis, and promptly entering information into state and federal databases to aid identification. 4. The Department of State Police is tasked with providing guidance and training to local law enforcement on best practices for death scene investigations and handling of unidentified remains. The overall goal of the bill is to standardize and streamline the process for reporting, assessing, and investigating missing persons cases in Massachusetts, with a focus on high-risk situations and unidentified remains.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H2132