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Bill > HB967

MS HB967

MS HB967
The Missing Persons Reporting and Identification Act; create to require input of missing persons in NAMUS.

summary

Introduced
01/16/2026
In Committee
01/16/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
02/03/2026

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

An Act To Create The Missing Persons Reporting And Identification Act; To Require Local Law Enforcement Agencies To Accept A Report Of A Missing Person; To Permit Local Law Enforcement Agencies To Attempt To Obtain Dna Of The Missing Person Or A Reference Sample From A Family Member's Dna To Be Submitted To The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System (namus) And The Mississippi Forensic Dna Identification System Or The National Dna Identification System; To Prohibit A Local Law Enforcement Agency From Accepting A Missing Person Report; To Require Local Law Enforcement Agencies To Accept Missing Person Reports In Person; To Provide For The Information The Local Law Enforcement Agency Shall Attempt To Gather Regarding The Missing Person's Disappearance; To Require The Local Law Enforcement Agency To Generate A Report Of The Missing Person Within The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System (namus) If The Person Identified Report Remains Missing After Five Days, But Not More Than Fifteen Days; To Define The Term "high-risk Missing Person" And The Procedures To Be Followed By Local Law Enforcement Agencies To Ensure That Those Persons Are Input In The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System (namus); To Require The Mississippi Department Of Public Safety To Establish Procedures For Determining How To Prioritize Analysis Of The Samples Relating To Missing Person Cases; To Require The Mississippi Department Of Public Safety To Immediately Notify All Local Law Enforcement Agencies Within This State And The Surrounding Region Of Information That Will Aid In The Prompt Location And Safe Return Of High-risk Missing Persons; To Bring Forward Sections 43-15-401 And 45-41-1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendments; And For Related Purposes.

AI Summary

This bill, known as the Missing Persons Reporting and Identification Act, mandates that local law enforcement agencies must accept reports of missing persons without delay, regardless of the person's age, the circumstances of their disappearance, or the duration they have been missing, and requires these reports to be taken in person. The bill outlines extensive information that law enforcement should attempt to gather, including physical descriptions, clothing, electronic devices, and any circumstances suggesting foul play or risk. If a person remains missing for five to fifteen days, their information must be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS), a federal database used to help locate missing individuals and identify unidentified remains. The bill also defines a "high-risk missing person" as someone whose circumstances indicate they may be in danger and requires immediate entry into NAMUS and notification to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, it directs the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to establish procedures for prioritizing the analysis of DNA samples related to missing persons cases and to immediately share information that could aid in the safe return of high-risk missing persons. The bill also references and incorporates existing laws concerning missing children (Amber Alert) and missing endangered adults with cognitive impairments (Silver Alert System).

Committee Categories

Justice

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Died In Committee (on 02/03/2026)

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