[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8860 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8860
To direct the Attorney General to include certain additional
information in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 15, 2022
Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mr. Burchett, Mr. Lieu, and Mr. Fitzpatrick)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture,
Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Attorney General to include certain additional
information in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Tracking and Reporting Absent
Community-Members Everywhere Act'' or the ``TRACE Act''.
SEC. 2. INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL MISSING AND
UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM.
The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the National
Institute of Justice, shall include in the National Missing and
Unidentified Persons System the following data fields:
(1) A description of any initial search, rescue, or
recovery mission.
(2) A description of any ongoing search effort.
(3) In the case that remains of a person are found, the
cause of death determined by a coroner or forensics
investigator.
(4) Whether the last known location of the missing person
was confirmed or was suspected to have been on Federal land.
(5) For missing persons whose last known location was
confirmed or was suspected to have been on Federal land, the
following additional data fields:
(A) The activity in which the person was engaged or
suspected to have been engaged at the time of their
disappearance, including any known or suspected
destination.
(B) A description of any belongings of the person
that were recovered, and the location of recovery of
each such time.
(C) Whether the last known location of the missing
person is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management,
the Forest Service, the National Park Service, or the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
(D) Any additional information, including any
specific location details, about the unit of Federal
land that was the last known location of the missing
person.
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF OPEN AND ARCHIVED CASES.
(a) Open Cases.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretaries, in consultation with Federal, State, or
local law enforcement agencies, as appropriate, shall each include in
the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System the information
described in section 2 for each missing person the last known location
of whom was confirmed or was suspected to have been on Federal land,
and the case of whom is open on the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Archived Cases.--After the completion of the requirement under
subsection (a), the Secretaries, in consultation with Federal, State,
or local law enforcement agencies, as appropriate, shall each include
in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System the information
described in section 2 for each missing person the last known location
of whom was confirmed or was suspected to have been on Federal land,
and the case of whom was archived.
(c) Clarification.--The requirements of the Secretaries under this
section apply in each case with respect to which the Federal land is
under the administrative jurisdiction of the applicable Secretary,
regardless of whether another Federal, State, or local law enforcement
agency that is not under the applicable Secretary's jurisdiction is the
lead law enforcement agency investigating the case.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Beginning in the second calendar year that begins after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, on January 15th, the
Attorney General, acting through the Director of the National Institute
of Justice, shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the
House of Representatives and of the Senate a report that contains, for
the previous calendar year, the following information:
(1) The number of open cases in the National Missing and
Unidentified Persons System.
(2) The number of cases in the National Missing and
Unidentified Persons System that were archived.
(3) The number of archived cases entered into the National
Missing and Unidentified Persons System under subsection (b).
(4) The number of cases for each of paragraphs (1) and (2)
where the missing person's last known location was confirmed or
was suspected to have been on Federal land.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``Federal land'' means land owned by the
United States that is under the administrative jurisdiction of
the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior
(except land held in trust for the benefit of an Indian Tribe),
or the Secretary of Defense only with respect to land and water
resources projects administered by the Army Corps of Engineers.
(2) The term ``open case'' means an active case and a case
that is unsolved but not being actively investigated.
(3) The term ``Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to
land and water under the administrative jurisdiction of
the Secretary of Agriculture;
(B) the Secretary of the Interior with respect to
land and water under the administrative jurisdiction of
the Secretary of the Interior (except land held in
trust for the benefit of an Indian Tribe); and
(C) the Secretary of Defense only with respect to
land and water resources projects administered by the
Army Corps of Engineers.
<all>