[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 31 (Friday, March 5, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




H.R. 3695, TO AUTHORIZE FUNDING FOR, AND INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY TO, THE 
            NATIONAL MISSING AND UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 5, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in 
support of H.R. 3695 ``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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to 
provide incentive grants to help facilitate reporting to such systems, 
and for other purposes.''
  I would like to begin by thanking my colleague Rep. Chris Murphy for 
introducing this resolution in the House, as it is important that we 
consistently work towards improving the law enforcement capabilities of 
our nation and ensure that criminals are brought to justice.
  I stand today in support of this legislation because it will assist 
our nation's law enforcement officials to work together in solving 
crimes and prosecuting criminals. One of the biggest problems plaguing 
our nation today is a lack of coordination between various law 
enforcement and federal agencies in solving crimes and prosecuting 
criminals.
  It is also important that victims of crime and their families are 
given every opportunity to see that justice is served to criminals. By 
fostering better communication and interaction between our local, state 
and federal law enforcement and investigative agencies the American 
people will be better protected, and dangerous criminals across the 
nation will be taken off the streets.
  This piece of legislation, H.R. 3695 or ``Billy's Law,'' is named 
after Billy Smolinski of Connecticut, who went missing on August 24, 
2004 at the age of 31. In the aftermath of the disappearance of their 
son, Billy's family experienced many obstacles in searching for their 
missing son.
  One of the largest obstacles the Smolinski family faced in the search 
for their son was the fact that there was little coordination 
and interaction between the numerous departments and agencies that 
oversaw the multi-jurisdictional investigation into Billy Smolinski's 
disappearance.

  While federal law mandates that law enforcement agencies report 
missing children there is not currently a mandate stating that law 
enforcement agencies must report missing adults or unidentified bodies. 
This creates a serious void of good information that could otherwise be 
used towards the prosecution of violent offenders and in the defense of 
the American public.
  Furthermore, although law enforcement agencies can voluntarily report 
this information, there is a real lack of resources and knowledge of 
how the reporting system works. This is an important issue which we 
must address as it often prevents law enforcement agencies from 
reporting this vital information. By adopting this legislation, we will 
ensure that this information is communicated in an effective and timely 
manner.
  Billy's Law would empower families and loved ones of the missing to 
seek out justice. One way this piece of legislation would help in this 
effort is by helping to secure funding for the National Missing and 
Unidentified Persons System--the only federal missing persons and 
unidentified remains database that can be cross-searched, accessed, and 
added to by the public.
  The expansion of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons 
Database would enable the families and loved ones of the missing to 
searching for the missing person and add invaluable information to the 
case profile that only they would know.
  H.R. 3695 would also help to create a more efficient reporting 
process for law enforcement and medical examiners by connecting the 
FBI's National Crime Information Center and the National Missing and 
Unidentified Persons System. Connecting these databases makes them more 
comprehensive and more likely to lead to a missing person or 
unidentified remains match.
  It is important that we continue to examine the criminal justice 
system in this country to ensure that law enforcement agencies work 
together for the benefit and protection of the American public. It has 
been shown that when law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and 
federal level work together, more information is able to be gathered 
and analyzed in criminal cases.
  I ask my colleagues for their support of this legislation as well as 
their support for the numerous local, state, and federal law 
enforcement agencies that keep our country safe every day. I also ask 
for your continued support of the Smolinski family. I strongly urge you 
to support this resolution.