WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called Billy's Law, which would help to expand the database of missing persons and unidentified remains.
The measure would require the FBI to share information, excluding sensitive and confidential data, in a public online database, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the Los Angeles Times reported. While the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System has information on 2,856 missing people and 6,241 unidentified remains accessible to the public, it doesn't include thousands of FBI records.
Complicating the plight for loved ones of missing adults, authorities are required to report missing people under age 21, but not required to report missing adults, such as 31-year-old Billy Smolinski, who went missing in 2004 and authorities believe was killed, the Times said.
"It's likely that many missing-persons cases remain open for failure to connect missing-person profiles with unidentified remains that are being held," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, a bill co-sponsor.
"In our search to find our son we encountered a Pandora's box," Smolinski's mother, Janice Smolinski, testified during a recent congressional hearing. "And when we opened it, we unleashed the nightmare plaguing the world of the missing and the unidentified dead."
The legislation also would authorize $50 million in grants over five years to encourage state and local officials to share information on missing people and unidentified remains.
A companion bill was introduced in the Senate Tuesday.
