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25LSO-0635
ORIGINAL Senate
ENGROSSED
File No
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SF0114
ENROLLED ACT NO. 31,
SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session
AN ACT relating to criminal procedure; requiring the acceptance of reports of missing persons by law enforcement as specified; providing exceptions; specifying duties for law enforcement agencies and peace officers related to missing persons; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
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W.S. 7
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109 is created to read:
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2
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109.
Reporting of missing persons; report acceptance; duties and responsibilities.
(a)
Each Wyoming law enforcement agency shall accept, without delay, any credible report of a missing person made to the law enforcement agency, unless at least one (1) of the following occurs:
(i)
The law enforcement agency knows the location of the person reported missing;
(ii)
The law enforcement agency confirms the safe status of the person reported missing;
(iii)
The person reported missing is not a resident of Wyoming, and the most recent verifiable location of the person reported missing was not in Wyoming;
(iv)
The law enforcement agency confirms that another law enforcement agency already has, is accepting or will accept, without delay, a missing person report for the person;
(v)
The person reporting the missing person is unable to articulate reasonable knowledge of the missing person or a legitimate reason for concern for the missing person or the missing person's health, safety or welfare;
(vi)
The law enforcement agency suspects, and can articulate, that the person reported as missing intended to lawfully flee;
(vii)
The person reported missing is being sought for reasons of harassment, stalking or retaliation;
(viii)
Other articulable extenuating circumstances exist, consistent with this section, that would make acceptance of a report of the missing person impractical, unreasonable or unsafe for the missing person, and the law enforcement agency documents the extenuating circumstances.
(b)
The primary jurisdiction for reporting a missing person shall be the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the most recent verifiable location of the missing person. If a verifiable last known location is not determined, the primary jurisdiction shall be the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the last known residential address of the missing person. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude or prohibit any other law enforcement agency from accepting a report of a missing person under this section.
(c)
All missing person reports meeting the criteria for reporting under this section shall be entered into the relevant national, regional and state databases used by the law enforcement agency for the sharing of missing person reports. Reports required under this subsection shall be entered by the dates and times required by law but not later than eight (8) hours after the receipt of a report and all required information for submission.
(d)
If a missing person is not located within thirty (30) days of being reported missing under this section, the law enforcement agency that accepted the report under this section shall ensure that a complete and accurate record of information is compiled for the missing person, including a photograph if available. The complete and accurate record compiled shall be forwarded to the attorney general and the division of criminal investigation for inclusion in the clearinghouse database on missing persons established under W.S. 9
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624(a)(v).
(e)
Upon receipt of a missing person report, the primary jurisdiction shall request a photograph and cellular telephone information of the missing person and, without delay, notify appropriate law enforcement agencies of the pertinent information and cellular telephone ping results when appropriate.
(f)
Upon receipt of a missing person report, the primary jurisdiction shall evaluate the potential benefit of notifying area news media and making an announcement via social media channels that the law enforcement agency routinely uses.
Section 2.
W.S. 9
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624(a)(v)(B) is amended to read:
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624.
Division of criminal investigation; uniform procedures and forms for collecting and disseminating identification data; missing persons repository; annual crime statistics report; cold case database; agencies to cooperate.
(a)
The division shall:
(v)
Act as a central repository of information and operate a clearinghouse database on missing persons from Wyoming. As a function of the central repository:
(B)
The division may make publicly available information about ongoing missing person investigations
, including reports of missing persons submitted to law enforcement agencies under W.S. 7
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109,
to aid the efficient investigation and swift recovery of missing persons or when otherwise in the public interest.
Section 3
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This act is effective July 1, 2025
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(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
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