The Missing Persons Reporting and Identification Act; create to require input of missing persons in NamUs.

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To: Judiciary B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives McKnight, Shanks

HOUSE BILL NO. 377
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO PROVIDE CERTAIN PROCEDURES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 1
AGENCIES CONCERNING THE INVESTIGATION INTO A MISSING OR 2
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON; TO REQUIRE A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO 3
INITIATE CERTAIN PROCEDURES UPON THE RECEIPT OF A CREDIBLE REPORT 4
OF A MISSING OR UNIDENTIFIED PERSON; TO REQUIRE CERTAIN 5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE MISSING OR UNIDENTIFIED PERSON TO BE ENTERED 6
INTO THE NATIONAL MISSING AND UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM; TO 7
PROHIBIT A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FROM REQUIRING A DELAY BEFORE 8
ACCEPTING A REPORT OR REQUIRING THE APPEARANCE OF A NEXT OF KIN 9
BEFORE INITIATING A MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATION; TO REQUIRE A 10
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER TO ENTER A 11
REPORT OF A MISSING CHILD INTO THE NATIONAL MISSING AND 12
UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM WITHOUT DELAY; TO REQUIRE THE STATE 13
MEDICAL EXAMINER TEST THE DNA OF UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS USING 14
FORENSIC GENETIC GENEALOGY TESTING; TO AMEND SECTION 41-61-53, 15
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE THE TERMS "UNCLAIMED HUMAN 16
REMAINS" AND "UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS"; TO AMEND SECTION 17
41-61-59, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT WHEN A BODY IS 18
UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS, THE BODY SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE 19
STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER; TO AMEND SECTION 41-61-61, MISSISSIPPI 20
CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT UPON DISCOVERY UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN 21
REMAINS OR ANATOMICAL MATERIAL SUSPECTED OF BEING PART OF THE 22
HUMAN BODY SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER; TO 23
PROVIDE THAT THE WILLFUL DESTRUCTION OF A BODY, BODY PART OR 24
UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS SHALL BE A FELONY; TO REQUIRE THE 25
COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER INVESTIGATOR TO ENTER INTO THE NATIONAL 26
MISSING AND UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM ALL UNCLAIMED HUMAN 27
REMAINS CASES WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 28
41-39-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE ANY PHYSICIAN, 29
HOSPITAL, FUNERAL DIRECTOR, EMBALMER, COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER OR 30
OTHER PERSON ACQUIRING POSSESSION OF UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS TO 31
SUBMIT THE REMAINS TO THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER AND NOT SUBJECT 32
THE REMAINS TO CREMATION, EMBALMING OR OTHER DESTRUCTIVE 33
TREATMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 45-6-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 34
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REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRAINING RELATED TO THE INVESTIGATION 35
OF UNIDENTIFIED AND MISSING PERSONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS; 36
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 37
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 38
SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, the following words 39
shall have the meanings herein ascribed unless the context clearly 40
requires otherwise: 41
(a) "Forensic genetic genealogy testing" means the 42
combination of laboratory testing, genetic genealogy, and law 43
enforcement investigative techniques to develop investigate leads 44
as to the identify of unidentified human remains. "Forensic 45
genetic genealogy testing" includes developing genealogy DNA 46
profiles consisting of one hundred thousand (100,000) or more 47
markers that are compatible with multiple genealogy databases 48
consented for law enforcement use. 49
(b) "Missing person" means a person reported to a law 50
enforcement agency as missing and unaccounted for from expected 51
and normal activities. "Missing person" includes, but is not 52
limited to, children under eighteen (18) years of age and those 53
missing persons described in Sections 43-15-401 and 45-41-1. 54
(c) "Unidentified person" means a person living or 55
deceased who is unidentified after all available methods used to 56
identify a person have been exhausted, including a decedent 57
released to the State Medical Examiner in which the positive 58
identity of the decedent cannot be established by the State 59
Medical Examiner. "Unidentified person" includes unidentified 60
human remains as defined in 41-61-53(l). 61
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(2) (a) When a credible report of a missing person or 62
unidentified person is received, a law enforcement agency shall 63
initiate the following procedures upon receipt of the report, if 64
possible, but no later than ten (10) days of receiving the missing 65
person or unidentified person report: 66
(i) Submit the missing person or unidentified 67
person case to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons 68
System and to any database of missing persons or unidentified 69
persons currently required by the law enforcement agency, 70
providing all appropriate data. The requirements of this 71
subparagraph (i) may be fulfilled by a law enforcement agency 72
submitting the report to the National Crime Information Center 73
(NCIC). The State Medical Examiner shall transfer the submitted 74
data into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System on 75
behalf of the law enforcement agency; 76
(ii) Locate and obtain biometric records, 77
including medical and dental records, medical and dental X-rays, 78
or other medical imaging, and enter those records into the 79
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Records 80
described under this subparagraph (ii) are considered confidential 81
and shall not be released to the public; 82
(iii) Utilize a CODIS approved buccal swab 83
collection kit or similar and obtain voluntary DNA samples from 84
appropriate family members to submit to the State Medical Examiner 85
who shall coordinate submission of samples to a CODIS/NDIS 86
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participating laboratory for DNA testing and development of a full 87
genetic profile, including, but not limited to, testing of 88
mitochondrial DNA, short tandem repeats on the Y-chromosome, and 89
nuclear analyses, to be documented in the National Missing and 90
Unidentified Persons System, missing persons or unidentified 91
persons file, and submitted to the Federal Bureau of 92
Investigation's National DNA Index System using the Combined DNA 93
Index System. If necessary, the law enforcement agency may 94
request assistance in obtaining family reference DNA samples; and 95
(iv) Attempt to locate any fingerprints from 96
available resources and submit the fingerprints to the National 97
Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 98
(b) At the request of a law enforcement agency, any of 99
the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection may be 100
fulfilled by the State Medical Examiner of behalf of the law 101
enforcement agency. 102
(3) A law enforcement agency or the State Medical Examiner 103
shall input the following data, if available for an unidentified 104
person, into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System: 105
(a) Copies of fingerprints on standardized fingerprint 106
cards measuring eight inches by eight inches (8″ x 8″) or the 107
equivalent digital image, including partial prints of any fingers; 108
(b) Forensic dental report or radiology imaging; 109
(c) Detailed personal descriptions; 110
(d) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) information; 111
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(e) Radiology imaging and medical data; and 112
(f) All other identifying data, including date and 113
place of death. 114
(4) (a) A law enforcement agency shall not require a delay 115
before accepting or investigating a report of a missing person 116
when reliable information has been provided to the law enforcement 117
agency that the person is missing. 118
(b) A law enforcement agency shall not mandate the 119
appearance of a next of kin before initiating a missing persons 120
investigation. 121
(5) (a) If a law enforcement agency receives a report of a 122
missing person from another law enforcement agency or from a 123
medical examiner, the law enforcement agency shall maintain a 124
record of the case file. 125
(b) The information contained in a report of a missing 126
person from another law enforcement agency or from a medical 127
examiner shall be made available to appropriate law enforcement 128
agencies and medical examiners attempting to identify unidentified 129
persons. 130
(6) (a) A law enforcement agency shall not establish or 131
maintain a policy that requires the observance of a waiting period 132
before accepting and investigating a report of a missing child. 133
(b) Notwithstanding the timeframe provided in 134
subsection (2) of this section, upon receipt of a report of a 135
missing child, a law enforcement agency shall enter the report 136
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into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System without 137
delay. 138
(7) When a person previously reported missing has been found 139
or when an unidentified person has been identified, the 140
responsible law enforcement agency or the Department of Public 141
Safety shall promptly inform the State Medical Examiner who shall 142
report to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System 143
within five (5) days of the person being found. 144
(8) This section does not prohibit an authorized law 145
enforcement agency or medical examiner from maintaining case files 146
related to missing persons or unidentified bodies. 147
(9) Notwithstanding the timeframe provided in subsection 148
(2)(a) of this section, after the State Medical Examiner has had 149
possession of unidentified human remains for forty-five (45) days, 150
the State Medical Examiner shall test the DNA using forensic 151
genetic genealogy testing. 152
(10) The duties required under this section are in addition 153
to any duties and procedures required of a law enforcement agency 154
by Sections 43-15-401 and 45-41-1. 155
SECTION 2. Section 41-61-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 156
amended as follows: 157
41-61-53. For the purposes of Sections 41-61-51 through 158
41-61-79, the following definitions shall apply: 159
(a) "Certification of death" means signing the death 160
certificate. 161
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(b) "Coroner" means the elected county official 162
provided for in Sections 19-21-101 through 19-21-107. 163
(c) "County medical examiner investigator" means a 164
nonphysician coroner or deputy coroner trained to investigate and 165
certify deaths affecting the public interest. 166
(d) "County medical examiner" means a licensed 167
physician who is a coroner or deputy coroner trained to 168
investigate and certify deaths affecting the public interest. 169
(e) "Death affecting the public interest" means any 170
death of a human being where the circumstances are sudden, 171
unexpected, violent, suspicious or unattended. 172
(f) "Medical examiner" means the medical examiner 173
system which is composed of the State Medical Examiner, county 174
medical examiners and county medical examiner investigators 175
collectively, and is a jurisdictional identifier, not a title, 176
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 177
(g) "Medical examiner investigator" means a 178
nonphysician appointed, trained and supervised by the State 179
Medical Examiner to investigate and assist with the certification 180
of deaths affecting the public interest. 181
(h) "Pronouncement of death" means the statement of 182
opinion that life has ceased for an individual. 183
(i) "State Medical Examiner" means the person appointed 184
by the Commissioner of Public Safety pursuant to Section 41-61-55 185
to investigate and certify deaths that affect the public interest. 186
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(j) "Autopsy" means a postmortem examination. 187
(k) "Postmortem examination" means an examination of a 188
dead human body that may include the least invasive to most 189
invasive methods based on the expertise and judgment of the 190
pathologist handling the case. 191
(l) "Unclaimed human remains" means all coroner cases 192
with a confirmed identification that have not been claimed by 193
family or where no family has been located in order to claim the 194
remains. 195
(m) "Unidentified human remains" means deceased human 196
remains, skeletonized or with tissue, which require the 197
application of scientific identification methods to determine 198
positive identity, as established by the State Medical Examiner. 199
"Unidentified human remains" includes all deceased human remains 200
without a positive identity, including those deceased human 201
remains: 202
(i) With or without a presumptive identification; 203
or 204
(ii) Which are visually unrecognizable due to 205
traumatic injury or decomposition. 206
"Unidentified human remains" do not include deceased human 207
remains which have been determined to be solely archaeological in 208
origin through consultation between the State Medical Examiner and 209
the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. 210
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SECTION 3. Section 41-61-59, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 211
amended as follows: 212
41-61-59. (1) A person's death that affects the public 213
interest as specified in subsection (2) of this section shall be 214
promptly reported to the medical examiner by the physician in 215
attendance, any hospital employee, any law enforcement officer 216
having knowledge of the death, the embalmer or other funeral home 217
employee, any emergency medical technician, any relative or any 218
other person present. The appropriate medical examiner shall 219
notify the municipal or state law enforcement agency or sheriff 220
and take charge of the body. When the medical examiner has 221
received notification under Section * * * 41-39-143 that the 222
deceased is medically suitable to be an organ and/or tissue donor, 223
the medical examiner's authority over the body shall be subject to 224
the provisions of Section * * * 41-39-143. When the body is 225
unidentified human remains, the medical examiner's jurisdiction of 226
the body shall be subject to the provisions of Section 41-61-61, 227
and the body shall be submitted to the State Medical Examiner. 228
The appropriate medical examiner shall notify the Mississippi 229
Bureau of Narcotics within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of 230
the body in cases of death as described in subsection (2)(m) or 231
(n) of this section. 232
(2) A death affecting the public interest includes, but is 233
not limited to, any of the following: 234
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(a) Violent death, including homicidal, suicidal or 235
accidental death. 236
(b) Death caused by thermal, chemical, electrical or 237
radiation injury. 238
(c) Death caused by criminal abortion, including 239
self-induced abortion, or abortion related to or by sexual abuse. 240
(d) Death related to disease thought to be virulent or 241
contagious that may constitute a public hazard. 242
(e) Death that has occurred unexpectedly or from an 243
unexplained cause. 244
(f) Death of a person confined in a prison, jail or 245
correctional institution. 246
(g) Death of a person where a physician was not in 247
attendance within thirty-six (36) hours preceding death, or in 248
prediagnosed terminal or bedfast cases, within thirty (30) days 249
preceding death. 250
(h) Death of a person where the body is not claimed by 251
a relative or a friend. 252
(i) Death of a person where the * * * deceased * * * 253
human remains are unidentified human remains. 254
(j) Death of a child under the age of two (2) years 255
where death results from an unknown cause or where the 256
circumstances surrounding the death indicate that sudden infant 257
death syndrome may be the cause of death. 258
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(k) Where a body is brought into this state for 259
disposal and there is reason to believe either that the death was 260
not investigated properly or that there is not an adequate 261
certificate of death. 262
(l) Where a person is presented to a hospital emergency 263
room unconscious and/or unresponsive, with cardiopulmonary 264
resuscitative measures being performed, and dies within 265
twenty-four (24) hours of admission without regaining 266
consciousness or responsiveness, unless a physician was in 267
attendance within thirty-six (36) hours preceding presentation to 268
the hospital, or in cases in which the decedent had a prediagnosed 269
terminal or bedfast condition, unless a physician was in 270
attendance within thirty (30) days preceding presentation to the 271
hospital. 272
(m) Death that is caused by drug overdose or which is 273
believed to be caused by drug overdose. 274
(n) When a stillborn fetus is delivered and the cause 275
of the demise is medically believed to be from the use by the 276
mother of any controlled substance as defined in Section 277
41-29-105. 278
(o) Death of any person under the age of eighteen (18). 279
(3) The State Medical Examiner is empowered to investigate 280
deaths, under the authority hereinafter conferred, in any and all 281
political subdivisions of the state. The county medical examiners 282
and county medical examiner investigators, while appointed for a 283
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specific county, may serve other counties on a regular basis with 284
written authorization by the State Medical Examiner, or may serve 285
other counties on an as-needed basis upon the request of the 286
ranking officer of the investigating law enforcement agency. If a 287
death affecting the public interest takes place in a county other 288
than the one where injuries or other substantial causal factors 289
leading to the death have occurred, jurisdiction for investigation 290
of the death may be transferred, by mutual agreement of the 291
respective medical examiners of the counties involved, to the 292
county where the injuries or other substantial causal factors 293
occurred, and the costs of autopsy or other studies necessary to 294
the further investigation of the death shall be borne by the 295
county assuming jurisdiction. 296
(4) (a) In criminal trials where the testimony of a current 297
or former State Medical Examiner, Deputy State Medical Examiner, 298
or member of the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory is needed, the 299
use of audiovisual communications equipment to present such 300
testimony remotely is allowed when the state has provided written 301
notice to the defendant at least ninety (90) days prior to trial 302
of its intent to present such remote testimony, and the defendant 303
provides no written objection within fourteen (14) days of 304
receiving such notice. Should the defendant object, the remote 305
testimony shall only be permitted upon a finding by the court that 306
the rights of the defendant to confront the witness against the 307
defendant is not violated, that compelling circumstances exist to 308
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allow such remote testimony, and that the remote testimony can be 309
provided with appropriate safeguards so as to assure the 310
reliability of the testimony of the witness during the trial. 311
(b) All persons qualified to administer an oath in the 312
State of Mississippi may swear in a witness remotely by 313
audiovisual communication technology, provided they can positively 314
identify the witness and they are able to both see and hear the 315
witness via audiovisual communications equipment. 316
(5) The chief county medical examiner or chief county 317
medical examiner investigator may receive from the county in which 318
he serves a salary of One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars 319
($1,250.00) per month, in addition to the fees specified in 320
Sections 41-61-69 and 41-61-75, provided that no county shall pay 321
the chief county medical examiner or chief county medical examiner 322
investigator less than Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) per month 323
as a salary, in addition to other compensation provided by law. 324
In any county having one or more deputy medical examiners or 325
deputy medical examiner investigators, each deputy may receive 326
from the county in which he serves, in the discretion of the board 327
of supervisors, a salary of not more than Nine Hundred Dollars 328
($900.00) per month, in addition to the fees specified in Sections 329
41-61-69 and 41-61-75; however, no county shall pay the deputy 330
medical examiners or deputy medical examiner investigators less 331
than Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) per month as a salary in 332
addition to other compensation provided by law. For this salary 333
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the chief shall assure twenty-four-hour daily and readily 334
available death investigators for the county, and shall maintain 335
copies of all medical examiner death investigations for the county 336
for at least the previous five (5) years. He shall coordinate his 337
office and duties and cooperate with the State Medical Examiner, 338
and the State Medical Examiner shall cooperate with him. 339
SECTION 4. Section 41-61-61, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 340
amended as follows: 341
41-61-61. (1) Upon the death of any person where that death 342
affects the public interest, the medical examiner of the county in 343
which the body of the deceased is found or, if death occurs in a 344
moving conveyance, where the conveyance stops and death is 345
pronounced, shall be notified promptly by any person having 346
knowledge or suspicion of such a death, as provided in subsection 347
(1) of Section 41-61-59. The medical examiner shall then notify 348
the State Medical Examiner, in accordance with Section 349
41-61-63(2)(a). No person shall disturb the body at the scene of 350
such a death until authorized by the medical examiner, unless the 351
medical examiner is unavailable and it is determined by an 352
appropriate law enforcement officer that the presence of the body 353
at the scene would risk the integrity of the body or provide a 354
hazard to the safety of others. For the limited purposes of this 355
section, expression of an opinion that death has occurred may be 356
made by a nurse, an emergency medical technician, or any other 357
competent person, in the absence of a physician. 358
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(2) The discovery of unidentified human remains or of 359
anatomical material suspected of being part of the human body 360
shall be promptly reported either (a) to the medical examiner of 361
the county in which the material is found, who shall report the 362
discovery to the State Medical Examiner, or (b) to the State 363
Medical Examiner. The unidentified human remains or the 364
anatomical material suspected of being part of the human body 365
shall be submitted to the State Medical Examiner. 366
(3) (a) A person who willfully moves, distributes or 367
conceals a body or body part in violation of this section is 368
guilty of a misdemeanor, and may be punished by a fine of not more 369
than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment for not 370
more than six (6) months in the county jail, or by both such fine 371
and imprisonment. 372
(b) A person who willfully destroys a body, body part 373
or unidentified human remains in violation of this section is 374
guilty of a felony, and may be punished by a fine of not more than 375
Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment for not more 376
than two (2) years in the custody of the Department of 377
Corrections, or by both such fine and imprisonment. 378
(4) Upon oral or written authorization of the medical 379
examiner, if an autopsy is to be performed, the body shall be 380
transported directly to an autopsy facility in a suitable secure 381
conveyance, as determined by the State Medical Examiner, and the 382
expenses of transportation shall be paid by the county for which 383
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the service is provided. The county may contract with individuals 384
or make available a vehicle to the medical examiner or law 385
enforcement personnel for transportation of bodies. If transport 386
must be delayed for any reason, the county shall store the body in 387
an environment conducive to maintaining preservation prior to 388
transporting the body to the State Medical Examiner's Office for 389
postmortem examination. 390
(5) The county medical examiner investigator shall enter 391
into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System all 392
unclaimed human remains cases as defined in 41-61-53(l) within 393
five (5) days following the identification of the unclaimed human 394
remains but in no case longer than fifteen (15) days from the date 395
of death of the individual. The State Medical Examiner is 396
authorized to enter these cases into the National Missing and 397
Unidentified Persons System on behalf of the county medical 398
examiner investigator. 399
SECTION 5. Section 41-39-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 400
amended as follows: 401
41-39-5. (1) Any physician, hospital, funeral director, 402
embalmer, county medical examiner or other person acquiring 403
possession of unidentified human remains as defined in 404
41-61-53(m), or portion thereof, shall: 405
(a) Immediately submit the unidentified human remains 406
to the State Medical Examiner pursuant to Sections 41-61-59 and 407
41-61-61; and 408
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(b) Not subject the unidentified human remains to 409
cremation, embalming or other destructive treatment. 410
(2) Any physician, hospital, funeral director, 411
embalmer * * * or other person acquiring possession of a dead 412
human body or portion thereof which is not claimed for burial or 413
cremation within forty-eight (48) hours of its acquisition and is 414
not unidentified human remains shall give written notice thereof 415
to the board of supervisors, or a member thereof, of the county in 416
which the dead body or portion thereof is located, furnishing such 417
identification of the decedent as may be available. The board of 418
supervisors or the coroner shall make reasonable efforts to notify 419
members of the decedent's family or other known interested 420
persons, and, if the dead body or portion thereof shall not be 421
claimed for burial or cremation by any interested person within 422
five (5) days of the aforementioned written notice, the board of 423
supervisors or coroner shall, as soon as it may think appropriate, 424
authorize and direct the burial or cremation and burial of the 425
residue of such dead body or portion thereof. In its discretion 426
and where otherwise permitted to do so by law, the board of 427
supervisors may direct the disposition of the dead body or portion 428
thereof as provided by Section 41-39-7. The reasonable expense of 429
such burial or cremation and burial of the residue of a dead body 430
shall be borne by the estate of the decedent or of any person 431
liable at law for the necessities of the decedent during his 432
lifetime or, if they are unable to pay the same, by the county of 433
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residence or settlement of the decedent, if known, and, if not 434
known, by the county in which the dead body or portion thereof is 435
located. 436
(3) If the person having possession of such dead human body 437
or portion thereof shall have no available means of preserving the 438
same and shall so notify the board of supervisors, or a member 439
thereof, of the county in which the dead body or portion thereof 440
is located, it shall be the duty of the board of supervisors to 441
make arrangements for the preservation of the same until burial or 442
cremation and burial of the residue of the dead body as 443
hereinabove provided, and the expense of such preservation shall 444
be borne as hereinabove provided with respect to the expense of 445
burial or cremation. 446
(4) No county funds may be expended in excess of the amount 447
budgeted for the purposes of this section without the prior 448
approval of the board of supervisors of the county. 449
SECTION 6. Section 45-6-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 450
amended as follows: 451
45-6-7. In addition to the powers conferred upon the board 452
elsewhere in this chapter, the board shall have power to: 453
(a) Promulgate rules and regulations for the 454
administration of this chapter, including the authority to require 455
the submission of reports and information by law enforcement 456
agencies of the state and its political subdivisions. 457
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(b) Establish minimum educational and training 458
standards for admission to employment or appointment as a law 459
enforcement officer or a part-time law enforcement officer: (i) 460
in a permanent position; and (ii) in a probationary status. The 461
minimum educational and training standards for any law enforcement 462
officer assigned to field or investigative duties shall include at 463
least two (2) hours of training related to handling complaints of 464
human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children 465
as defined in Section 43-21-105, communicating with such victims, 466
and requiring the officer to contact the Department of Child 467
Protection Services when human trafficking or commercial sexual 468
exploitation is suspected and at least two (2) hours of training 469
related to the investigation of unidentified and missing persons. 470
(c) Certify persons as being qualified under the 471
provisions of this chapter to be law enforcement officers or 472
part-time law enforcement officers. 473
(d) Revoke certification for cause and in the manner 474
provided in this chapter. The board is authorized to conduct 475
investigations and subpoena documents regarding revocations. The 476
board shall maintain a current list of all persons certified under 477
this chapter who have been placed on probation, suspended, 478
subjected to revocation of certification, or any combination of 479
these. The board may establish a hearing panel for the purpose of 480
providing a hearing to any law enforcement officer for whom the 481
board believes there is a basis for reprimand, suspension, 482
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cancellation of, or recalling the certification of a law 483
enforcement officer. The hearing panel shall provide its written 484
findings and recommendations to the board. 485
(e) Establish minimum curriculum requirements for basic 486
and advanced courses and programs for schools operated by or for 487
the state or any political subdivision thereof for the specific 488
purpose of training police and other law enforcement officers, 489
both full- and part-time, which shall include a minimum of two (2) 490
hours of training in a course or courses related to the 491
identification of and support for victims of human trafficking and 492
commercial sexual exploitation. 493
(f) Consult and cooperate with counties, 494
municipalities, state agencies, other governmental agencies, and 495
with universities, colleges, community and junior colleges and 496
other institutions concerning the development of training schools, 497
programs or courses of instruction for personnel defined in this 498
chapter. 499
(g) Make recommendations concerning any matter within 500
its purview pursuant to this chapter. 501
(h) Make such inspection and evaluation as may be 502
necessary to determine if governmental units are complying with 503
the provisions of this chapter. 504
(i) Approve law enforcement officer training schools 505
for operation by or for the state or any political subdivision 506
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ST: The Missing Persons Reporting and
Identification Act; create to require input of
missing persons in NamUs.
thereof for the specific purpose of training personnel defined in 507
this chapter. 508
(j) Upon the request of agencies employing personnel 509
defined in this chapter, conduct surveys or aid municipalities and 510
counties to conduct surveys through qualified public or private 511
agencies and assist in the implementation of any recommendations 512
resulting from such surveys. 513
(k) Upon request of agencies within the purview of this 514
chapter, conduct general and specific management surveys and 515
studies of the operations of the requesting agencies at no cost to 516
those agencies. The role of the board under this subsection shall 517
be that of management consultant. 518
(l) Adopt and amend regulations consistent with law, 519
for its internal management and control of board programs. 520
(m) Enter into contracts or do such things as may be 521
necessary and incidental to the administration of this chapter. 522
(n) Establish jointly with the State Board of Education 523
the minimum level of basic law enforcement training required of 524
persons employed by school districts as school security guards, or 525
school resource officers or in other positions that have the 526
powers of a peace officer. 527
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 528
and after July 1, 2026. 529