Information Packet For U.S. Congressmen, U.S. Senators and Media

Federal Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law)

H.R. 3653 and S. 2105

Presented by the Promoters of the Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law) so as to strengthen

OUR National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

(NamUs.gov)

YOU can help the families of the missing get answers

quicker than ever before.

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Table of Contents

Scope of Federal Bill Page 3

Status of Federal Bill Page 4

Text of Federal Bill as Introduced Page 8

Resource Links for Better Understanding Page 29

State Facebook Pages for Promotion Page 30

“Did You Know?” Items to Think About Page 31

Contacts Page 32

Senator Chris Murphy’s Press Release of Introduction of Federal Bill 114th Congress

Page 6

Call out to U.S. House Representatives (Congressmen) and U.S. Senators

Page 27

Call out to Media Page 28

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Every year tens of thousands of Americans go missing, never to be seen by their loved ones again. At the same time, there are also an estimated 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains that are being held or disposed of across the country. Sadly, because of gaps in the nation’s missing persons systems, missing persons and unidentified remains are rarely matched. The Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law) is an ef-fort to fix these problems and bring closure to the loved ones of the missing. This bill is named after Billy Smolinski of Waterbury, Connecticut who went missing on August 24, 2004 at the age of 31. Billy’s family knows all too well the systemic challenges in trying to find the missing. They quickly learned that while federal law mandates law enforcement report missing children, there are no such requirements for adults – or unidentified bodies. Compounding this problem is the fact that local law en-forcement agencies, medical examiners, and coroners, often don’t have the resources or training to volun-tarily report these cases. Finally, even when missing adults and remains are reported, the wide-range of unconnected federal, state, local, and non-profit databases to help match the missing with unidentified bodies, makes finding a match an often insurmountable challenge. The Help Find the Missing Act builds upon recent efforts to address these issues by: Authorizing, and therefore helping to ensure funding for, the National Missing Persons and Unidentified

Persons System (NamUs), which was created in July 2007 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pro-vide a missing persons/unidentified database that the public could access and contribute;

Connecting NamUs with the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in order to create more

comprehensive missing persons and unidentified remains databases and streamlining the reporting pro-cess for local law enforcement;

Expanding current law by requiring missing children be reported to NamUs (they already must be re-

ported to NCIC); Creating an incentive grants program to help states, local law enforcement, and medical examiners and

coroners report missing persons and unidentified remains to NCIC, NamUs, and the National DNA In-dex System (NDIS); and

Calling on the DOJ to issue guidelines and best practices on handling missing persons and unidentified

remains cases in order to empower law enforcement, medical examiners and coroners to help find the missing.

Scope of Federal Bill

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Status of Federal Bill

Reintroduction September 30, 2015:

S.2105—Sponsor:Sen. Murphy, Christopher S. [D-CT] (Introduced 09/30/2015) Committees: Senate - Judi-ciary

H.R.3653 — Sponsor: Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2] (Introduced 09/30/2015) Committees: House - Judiciary

History:

BILL H.R.5519 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Help Find the Missing Act Sponsor: Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2] (Introduced 09/17/2014) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: 10/28/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Home-land Security, and Investigations. Tracker: This bill has the status Introduced Here are the steps for Status of Legislation: Introduced

BILL S.2840 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Help Find the Missing Act Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher S. [D-CT] (Introduced 09/17/2014) Committees: Senate - Judiciary Latest Action: 09/17/2014 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: This bill has the status Introduced Here are the steps for Status of Legislation: Introduced

BILL S.702 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Help Find the Missing Act Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT] (Introduced 03/31/2011) Committees: Senate - Judiciary Latest Action: 03/31/2011 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: This bill has the status Introduced Here are the steps for Status of Legislation: Introduced

BILL H.R.3695 — 111th Congress (2009-2010) Help Find the Missing Act Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Christopher S. [D-CT-5] (Introduced 10/01/2009) Committees: House - Judiciary | Senate - Judiciary Committee Reports: H. Rept. 111-416 Latest Action: 02/24/2010 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: This bill has the status Passed House Here are the steps for Status of Legislation: Introduced Passed House

BILL H.R.1300 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Billy's Law Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Christopher S. [D-CT-5] (Introduced 03/31/2011) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: 07/11/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Secu-rity. Tracker: This bill has the status Introduced Here are the steps for Status of Legislation: Introduced

BILL S.3019 — 111th Congress (2009-2010) Billy's Law Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT] (Introduced 02/23/2010) Com-mittees: Senate - Judiciary Latest Action: 02/23/2010 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: This bill has the status Introduced Here are the steps for Status of Legislation: Introduced

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Text of Federal Bill as Introduced into the House, September 30, 2015

Text of Federal Bill may be found on pages 8-27 (Original)

Most current Text of Federal Bill may be viewed at: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2105/text

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http://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-hoeven-poe-and-esty-introduce-bipartisan-billys-law-to-help-find-the-missing MURPHY, HOEVEN, POE & ESTY INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN “BILLY’S LAW” TO HELP FIND THE MISSING Bill Will Streamline The Missing Persons Reporting Process & Ensure A More Comprehensive Law Enforcement Database wednesday, september 30, 2015 WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), together with U.S. Congressmen Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), introduced the bipartisan “Billy’s Law”, otherwise known as the Help Find the Miss-ing Act. The legislation will close loopholes in America’s missing persons systems by streamlining the missing persons reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more accessible and comprehensive. U.S. Senators Charles E. Schum-er (D-N.Y.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are cosponsors of the legislation. Billy's Law was originally introduced in 2009 by then-Congressman Chris Murphy. The bill was inspired by Janice Smolinski of Cheshire, Connecticut, after her 31-year-old son Billy went missing from Waterbury, Connecticut. While working with law en-forcement to locate her missing son, Smolinski faced countless systemic challenges. Billy's Law was introduced to address those challenges and help ensure that the tens of thousands of American families whose loved ones go missing each year do not ex-perience the same hurdles faced by the Smolinskis. Murphy said, “The Smolinskis and thousands of other families across America wake up every morning with the crippling uncer-tainty about the fate of their loved one. They are forced to endure intolerable inefficiencies as they navigate our missing persons systems in search of those they love. These families shouldn't be victimized twice - once by the disappearance of their family member and again by a broken missing persons system. This is the fourth time I’ve introduced Billy’s Law, and I won’t stop fighting until it becomes law.” “Experiences endured by the families of Billy Smolinski and Dru Sjodin in North Dakota highlight for all of us the heartache of dealing with a missing loved one,” Hoeven said. “This bill streamlines the reporting process and makes the technology more ac-cessible to help reduce the stress and uncertainty for families going through the ordeal of trying to find a family member.” “In my past life, I was a chief felony prosecutor and felony court judge in Harris County, Texas for over 30 years,” said Poe. “I know firsthand how violent crime affects the community and families of victims. The loss of a child is the worst pain imaginable. This pain is made even worse when families are left without answers of what happened to their loved ones. This bill works to give the family and friends of victims of the missing a sense of closure by providing necessary resources to help find their loved ones.” “I continue to be humbled and inspired by the Smolinskis, who have the courage to move forward in their pursuit of justice de-spite the unspeakable tragedy of their beloved son’s disappearance,” Esty said. “We ought to do all we can to help tens of thou-sands of American families like them who struggle to navigate a broken system. I am proud to join my colleagues in the House and Senate to introduce bipartisan legislation today that will improve access to critical information and help ensure grieving fam-ilies have the necessary resources to seek justice for their loved ones.” Billy’s Law will authorize funding for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) – the only federal database for missing persons and unidentified remains that can be cross-searched, accessed and added to by the public. NamUs enables the loved ones of missing persons to search for a match and add invaluable information to the case profile that only they might know. The legislation will also streamline the reporting process for law enforcement and medical examiners by connecting Na-mUs to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) – an electronic database that helps criminal justice professionals locate missing persons. Finally, Billy's Law will establish an incentive grants program to help coroners, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies facilitate the reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains, and would require the U.S. Department of Justice to issue a report on best practice standards and procedures. Because of gaps in U.S. missing persons systems, there are an estimated 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains across the country that are rarely matched with missing persons.

Senator Chris Murphy’s Press Release of Introduction of Federal Bill

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Text of

Federal Bill

as Introduced

on

September 30, 2015

Pages 8-27

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Call out to U.S. House Representatives (Congressmen) and U.S. Senators

Call out to Media

When 200 plus girls went missing in another country how many of you were in favor of the U.S. jumping in and helping? For the families of the U.S. 110,000 plus missing persons it was very bittersweet. The families of the missing never deny their support to any family in the world but when this was taking place they couldn’t help think and voice “What about our missing?” “Where is the money to fix our broken system?” “Why do we have the technology but not the training?” “Why do we have databases that don’t communicate?” “Why are our politicians not helping us?” Are these not valid questions?

Representatives and Senators what say you in answer to the questions of over 1/2 million U.S. citizens who are the loved ones of the missing?

We are asking you to answer those questions by actively co-sponsoring and supporting the Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law) H.R. 3653 and S. 2105

To all media we are asking for your help in getting the word out about the federal Help Find the Missing Act—Billy’s Law. We are thankful to all of you that write about or air stories on our missing as that is such critical and vital aware-ness for these cases. But, we need more. There are so many other newsworthy stories that go along with the missing and uni-dentified persons. If you take time and research what has led to this bill you will understand immediately how huge this story can be for you.

Story ideas:

What is NamUs and how is it the answer to fixing a very broken system?

What happens (or doesn't happen) when the families of missing adults (sometimes teens too) make report?

What happens (or doesn’t happen) when a medical examiner/coroner have unidentified person’s remains (who do they report to?)?

What happens when families of the missing can’t see data to know if critical steps are being taken to help them get an an-swer?

What happens when you try to find complete data on all the missing and unidentified persons in your area or state?

Note: Some state’s missing person clearinghouses are better at posting their missing and/or unidentified persons’ cases. Some state’s missing person clearinghouse only pick and choose what cases they want to present. Unless you have law enforcement access NCIC numbers for you then the few cases you come up with publicly are most of the time not the actual numbers. Keep in mind those numbers from the NCIC are only the ones that have been reported to the NCIC as some families are only given a report number for the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction meaning the only database that missing person resides in is at the police station.

Why is this called our national silent mass disaster? And, how can Billy’s Law help to change that?

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Resource Links for Better Understanding

National Missing and Unidentified

Persons System (NamUs)

Site:

http://www.namus.gov

Public Service Announcement:

NamUs: Making a Difference

http://namus.gov/video.htm

Three sides to NamUs:

1. Missing Persons Database: https://www.findthemissing.org/en

2. Unidentified Persons Database: https://identifyus.org/en

3. Unclaimed Persons Database: https://claimus.org/

Help Find the Missing Act

Command Central

Site:

http://missing.ning.com

State Facebook Pages:

See page 29 of this docu-ment for all 50 links

Articles on the Help Find the Miss-ing Act (Billy’s Law)

and on NamUs

Billy’s Law:

Senator makes fourth attempt at bill to fund missing persons database

By G.W. Schulz / September 30, 2015 

 

https://www.revealnews.org/article/senator-makes-fourth-attempt-at-bill-to-fund-missing-persons-database/

NamUs: On Pinterest see: http://www.pinterest.com/deskside/namus/

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1. Alabama: https://www.facebook.com/ALforBillysLaw 2. Alaska: https://www.facebook.com/AKforBillysLaw 3. Arizona: https://www.facebook.com/ArizonaForBillysLaw 4. Arkansas: https://www.facebook.com/ARForBillysLaw 5. California: https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaforBillysLaw 6. Colorado: https://www.facebook.com/COforBillysLaw 7. Connecticut: https://www.facebook.com/CTforBillysLaw 8. Delaware: https://www.facebook.com/DEforBillysLaw 9. Florida: https://www.facebook.com/FLforBillysLaw 10. Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/GAforBillysLaw 11. Hawaii: https://www.facebook.com/HIforBillysLaw 12. Idaho: https://www.facebook.com/IDforBillysLaw 13. Illinois: https://www.facebook.com/ILforBillysLaw 14. Indiana: https://www.facebook.com/INforBillysLaw 15. Iowa: https://www.facebook.com/IAforBillysLaw 16. Kansas: https://www.facebook.com/KsForBillysLaw 17. Kentucky: https://www.facebook.com/KYforBillysLaw 18. Louisiana: https://www.facebook.com/LAforBillysLaw 19. Maine: https://www.facebook.com/MEforBillysLaw 20. Maryland: https://www.facebook.com/MDforBillysLaw 21. Massachusetts: https://www.facebook.com/MAforBillysLaw 22. Michigan: https://www.facebook.com/MIforBillysLaw 23. Minnesota: https://www.facebook.com/MNforBillysLaw 24. Mississippi: https://www.facebook.com/MSForBillysLaw 25. Missouri: https://www.facebook.com/MOforBillysLaw 26. Montana: https://www.facebook.com/MTforBillysLaw 27. Nebraska: https://www.facebook.com/NEforBillysLaw 28. Nevada: www.facebook.com/NVforBillysLaw 29. New Hampshire: https://www.facebook.com/NHforBillysLaw 30. New Jersey: https://www.facebook.com/NJforBillysLaw 31. New Mexico: https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoForBillysLaw 32. New York: https://www.facebook.com/NYForBillysLaw 33. North Carolina: https://www.facebook.com/NCforBillysLaw 34. North Dakota: https://www.facebook.com/NorthDakotaForBillysLaw 35. Ohio: https://www.facebook.com/OHforBillysLaw 36. Oklahoma: https://www.facebook.com/OKforBillysLaw 37. Oregon: https://www.facebook.com/ORforBillysLaw 38. Pennsylvania: https://www.facebook.com/PAforBillysLaw 39. Rhode Island: https://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandForBillysLaw 40. South Carolina: https://www.facebook.com/SCForBillysLaw 41. South Dakota: https://www.facebook.com/SDforBillysLaw 42. Tennessee: https://www.facebook.com/TNforBillysLaw 43. Texas: https://www.facebook.com/TXforBillysLaw 44. Utah: https://www.facebook.com/UTforBillysLaw 45. Vermont: https://www.facebook.com/VTforBillysLaw 46. Virginia: https://www.facebook.com/VAforBillysLaw 47. Washington: https://www.facebook.com/WaForBillysLaw 48. West Virginia: https://www.facebook.com/WVforBillysLaw 49. Wisconsin: https://www.facebook.com/WIforBillysLaw 50. Wyoming: https://www.facebook.com/WYforBillysLaw

State Facebook Pages for Promotion

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“Did You Know?” Items to Think About

The promoters of this federal bill are families of the missing and advocates that work with the families? Who knows better than these people what is needed to hasten answers for the families?

Did you know in the US we cannot count our missing accurately? It is thought there are 110,000 plus miss-ing and many say that number is quite a bit higher.

Did you know there are at least 40,000 unidentified persons remains around the U.S. that are not being matched in any database? How is a family supposed to get answers?

Did you know that the families of the missing have to jump from site to site to site (coroner’s sites, clearinghouses, and various other sites) looking at photos of the unidentified remains and reading re-ports? And , they have to ambulance chase down news reports of unidentified persons being found? Have you ever looked for a needle in a haystack? Without Billy’s Law in place this is what you are sentencing the families of the missing to spend years and decades doing. Strengthening NamUs via Billy’s Law can greatly reduce the size of that haystack!

Do you know how many are missing in your state? Don’t use the NCIC. Try determining the numbers from what the public and the media have to use and then pull the NCIC numbers and compare them. Shocked? How wrong is that? In this country we can’t count our missing because they are hidden in a law enforcement only archaic database made for criminals. NamUs is open and ac-cessible to everyone, everyone! Families don’t get answers if their cases are hidden.

Did you know you that you could get the families of the missing answers quicker than every before by co-sponsoring or promoting Billy’s Law????

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Contacts

Senator Chris Murphy

Washington, DC

303 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P: (202) 224-4041 F: (202) 224-9750

Hartford, CT

One Constitution Plaza, 7th Fl. Hartford, Connecticut 06103 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091

Promoters/Organizers

Janice Smolinski NamUs Victim Advocate—CT Federal Bill is named in honor of Jan’s missing son, Billy Smolinski

*Maureen Reintjes NamUs Victim Advocate—KS Founder of Peace for Missing and Unidentified Persons (Billy’s Law Command Center) deskside2@yahoo.com

Larry Ramsdell Strategist

Todd Matthews National Director, Case Management and Communications NamUs @ UNTHSC

*For contact information for the above, please contact Maureen Reintjes.

NamUs

www.namus.gov

Phone: 1-855-626-7600

Email:questions@findthemissing.org

Facebook State Page Admins

See page 30 of this document for State links. On the state Facebook page click on “About” for the Admin of that page.

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