[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S701-S702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Merkley, and Mrs. 
        Gillibrand):
  S. 3019. A bill to authorize funding for, and increase accessibility 
to, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, to facilitate 
data sharing between such system and the National Crime Information 
Center database of

[[Page S702]]

the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to provide incentive grants to 
help facilitate reporting to such systems, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise to speak about the Help Find the 
Missing Act, otherwise known as Billy's Law, which I am introducing 
today along with my colleagues, Senators Schumer, Gillibrand and 
Merkley.
  I was introduced to the issues Billy's Law addresses by two of my 
constituents, Jan and Bill Smolinski, who have lived through a parent's 
worst nightmare: the disappearance of their son.
  On the afternoon of August 24, 2004, then-31-year-old Billy Smolinski 
disappeared without a trace. He left behind a dog he loved and his 
brandnew house; a truck with his keys and wallet still inside; and 
parents who have spent every day since searching for him and praying 
for his return. One moment he was there, asking his neighbors to look 
after his dog for a few days, and the next he was gone without 
explanation.
  Jan and Bill Smolinski have spent countless hours working with law 
enforcement to try to find Billy. Through that experience, they 
discovered that we do a poor job managing data about missing adults. 
The bill we are introducing today will help correct those shortcomings 
so that families in similar situations can focus only on their missing 
loved ones and not have to worry that their agony will be prolonged 
simply because we fail to keep track of--and share--critical 
identifying data.
  Billy's Law does three things: It facilitates the sharing of data 
about missing people between agencies; it requires law enforcement to 
compile and track missing persons data that is not currently being 
collected consistently; and it provides funding to improve, monitor, 
and maintain that data.
  It is my hope that no parent will ever have to experience what Jan 
and Bill Smolinski are going through, and, as a parent, my heart truly 
goes out to them. Passing Billy's Law will help give families of 
missing adults confidence that we are doing everything we can to 
carefully track the information necessary to locate their loved ones.
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