A bill that sets new guidelines for missing persons investigations in Illinois is awaiting the Governor's signature after being passed by the General Assembly. The legislation, known as SB 24 or the Missing Persons Identification Act, was championed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart.
The act, sponsored by Sen. Michael Hastings and Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, mandates that law enforcement agencies in Illinois must immediately take a report when notified of a missing person and enter it into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). It also establishes timelines for follow-up actions if the individual is not found quickly.
For cases where a person remains missing for over 60 days, investigators are required to collect existing fingerprint records, dental records, and photographs to be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), which is a federal database. Unlike criminal databases used traditionally in such investigations, NamUs allows public access to some case information, enabling family members to search for their loved ones.
The bill ensures that missing persons cases remain active with law enforcement agencies and within these databases until the person is located.
Sheriff Dart’s Missing Persons Project inspired this legislation. Launched in 2021, this project involves Sheriff's Police investigators focusing on long-term missing women cases using various investigative and forensic methods, including NamUs.
"When a loved one goes missing, time is of the essence," Sheriff Dart stated. "This bill provides a guide for law enforcement on how to respond and follow up on missing persons investigations and provide answers to family members regarding their loved one's whereabouts. I commend the Illinois General Assembly for passing this legislation and urge Governor JB Pritzker to sign this bill into law."