U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on June 22 led a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Attorney General to include a data field in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) to indicate whether the last known location of a missing person was confirmed or was suspected to have been on federal land.
“Every year, thousands of people go missing on public lands without being recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,” Sen. Tillis said. “This oversight is impeding law enforcement from keeping track of those who go missing to help search and rescue efforts.”
Sen. Tillis sponsored the TRACE Act, S. 2120, with four original cosponsors, including lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), to require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to include an additional category to the existing NamUs database so the public and law enforcement may denote cases where the person went missing or was identified on federal land — including by providing specific location details, according to a summary provided by Sen. Tillis’ office.
NamUs, the main system used by law enforcement, families and friends of missing persons, medical examiners, and coroners to report unidentified remains and missing persons, is also used by the public, the summary says.
“I’m proud to lead this bipartisan legislation so these cases can be added to the database and potentially save hundreds of lives in the future,” said Sen. Tillis.
If enacted, S. 2120 also would require the DOJ to submit an annual report to Congress on the number of cases of persons missing on public lands or suspected of going missing on public lands from the previous year. This could help family and friends of people who have gone missing on public lands more easily find and include this information in NamUs and simultaneously enable law enforcement agencies to improve the national records of individuals missing on public lands, states the summary.
“Hundreds of thousands of people go missing in the U.S. every year, but without a system to track those who go missing on public lands, law enforcement’s ability to help bring them home is that much more difficult,” said Sen. Padilla. “I am introducing the TRACE Act to provide accurate and readily accessible data, equip law enforcement to resolve more cases, and help bring peace of mind to affected families.”
The TRACE Act is endorsed by the American Rescue Project, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Outdoor Industry Association, Public Lands Solution, and Trust for Public Land.