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House mandates NamUs reporting to help locate missing persons
Summary
House Bill 217 (the FIND Act) requires reported missing‑person information to be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), according to proponents who described it as a bipartisan measure to coordinate investigations and give families closure.
The Ohio House passed House Bill 217 on March 24, requiring that missing-person reports be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Supporters described the FIND Act as a commonsense, bipartisan step to improve coordination among jurisdictions and increase the likelihood of matches for unidentified remains.
Representative Ritter, speaking in favor, said the bill "ensures that when a person is reported missing in Ohio, the relevant information will be entered into the NamUs system," enabling investigators nationwide to compare DNA, dental and physical records. Representative Coughley and other backers said the change is a practical, cost‑effective way to give families answers and that local advocacy — including families of long-term missing persons — helped advance the measure.
The bill was reported by committee with bipartisan support and passed on the floor with a recorded tally indicating the required majority. Supporters called it a modest, coordinated reform that does not create a new bureaucracy but requires agencies to use an existing national investigative tool.
