North Charlotte Today

The U.S. Senate recently passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT). The legislation mandates the Department of Justice (DOJ) to add a new category to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) database, allowing the public and law enforcement to denote cases where individuals went missing or were identified on federal land, including specific location details.

The TRACE Act also requires the DOJ to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the number of persons missing on public lands or suspected of going missing on public lands from the previous year. This feature aims to assist family and friends in finding and including relevant information in NamUs while enabling law enforcement agencies to enhance national records of individuals missing on public lands.

“Every year, thousands of people go missing on public lands without being recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,” said Senator Tillis. “This oversight is impeding law enforcement from keeping track of those who go missing to help search and rescue efforts. I applaud the Senate for passing this bipartisan legislation so these cases can be added to the database and potentially save hundreds of lives in the future.”

“Thousands of people go missing on public lands in the United States every year, but without an effective system to track them, law enforcement’s ability to help bring them home is that much more limited,” said Senator Padilla. “That’s why I’m glad to see the Senate unanimously pass our bipartisan TRACE Act to provide more accurate and readily accessible data, help equip law enforcement to resolve more cases, and help bring peace of mind to affected families.”

According to a NamUs report, over 600,000 people go missing annually in the United States. While most cases are resolved, tens of thousands remain unresolved each year.

Federal land comprises approximately 640 million acres including national parks, national forests, and Bureau of Land Management areas. Estimates suggest at least 1,600 people have gone missing on public lands; however, due to isolated or rugged terrain making searches difficult, this number is likely higher. Accurate data regarding how many people go missing annually on public lands is crucial for aiding search and rescue efforts.

NamUs serves as a primary system used by law enforcement, families and friends of missing persons, medical examiners, coroners as well as by the general public for reporting unidentified remains and missing persons.

The TRACE Act has received endorsements from various organizations including American Rescue Project, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Outdoor Industry Association among others.