North Charlotte Today

Senators Thom Tillis and Alex Padilla have reintroduced the TRACE Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at improving the tracking of missing persons on federal lands. The bill, which is supported by Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Murphy, proposes an update to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) database. This update would allow for the inclusion of cases where individuals went missing or were identified on federal land, with specific location details.

The legislation also mandates that the Department of Justice submit an annual report to Congress detailing cases from public lands. This new measure is intended to aid family members and law enforcement in recording and resolving such incidents more effectively.

Senator Tillis stated, "Every year, thousands of people go missing on public lands without being recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. This oversight is impeding law enforcement from keeping track of those who go missing to help search and rescue efforts."

Senator Padilla added, "Thousands of people go missing on public lands every year in the United States, but without an effective tracking system, law enforcement faces significant challenges in finding them." He emphasized that public lands should be safe for everyone.

Senator Blumenthal highlighted the importance of providing law enforcement with proper resources: “This legislation would improve oversight and search and rescue efforts—bolstering the safety and security of our country’s public spaces.”

According to a NamUs report, over 600,000 people are reported missing annually in the United States. While most cases are resolved, tens of thousands remain unsolved each year. There are approximately 640 million acres of federal land across national parks and forests where many individuals have gone missing.

The TRACE Act has garnered support from various organizations including Public Lands Solution, Jewish Women's Institute, Major County Sheriffs Association, among others.

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