To amend sections 2901.30, 2901.41, and 2901.42 and to enact section 109.5731 of the Revised Code to enact Andy Chapman's Act to require law enforcement agencies to enter information relating to a report of a missing person in the national missing and unidentified persons system (NamUs).
HB217, the FIND Act, would require Ohio law enforcement agencies to enter information about missing-person reports into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) under specified timelines. The bill updates existing missing child and missing adult reporting statutes to add NamUs as a required repository for certain cases, while preserving current obligations to enter information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). For missing children, agencies would continue to take reports immediately, gather and share information, and, if the child is not located within 30 days, enter the report and related information into NamUs. For missing adults, the bill requires NamUs entry when a missing person is not found within 30 days, including for adults ages 18 to 20 and for adults 21 and older, with NCIC reporting deadlines still tied to the presence or later discovery of evidence of foul play.
The bill also reinforces follow-up procedures for missing child cases, including requests for dental records after 30 days, notification of schools, coordination with other law enforcement agencies, and reporting back to NamUs when a missing child is found. It clarifies that law enforcement must remove information from its systems and notify NamUs when a missing person is located. The bill defines NamUs in statute and adds a best-practices framework for missing-person investigations, including written agency policies and a good-faith compliance standard for officers.
In practical terms, HB217 would expand and standardize how Ohio agencies handle missing-person data by making NamUs reporting a statutory duty rather than a discretionary practice in the covered circumstances. It would affect law enforcement agencies statewide, the Attorney General’s office, families of missing children and adults, and related entities such as dentists and schools that may be asked to provide records or notifications. The bill also states that its requirements do not create a private cause of action for damages against the state, agencies, political subdivisions, or officers.
The available voting history shows strong bipartisan support and little visible opposition: the bill received a unanimous favorable committee vote and then passed the House 96-0. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate broader controversy. The overall sentiment appears strongly supportive, likely reflecting the bill’s focus on improving missing-person investigations and coordination across agencies.
The main point of policy significance is whether to mandate NamUs entry on a fixed timeline and how much discretion agencies should retain in determining when to upload information, especially in cases where foul play is not immediately evident. The bill also touches on privacy and administrative burden concerns by requiring agencies to collect, transmit, and later remove sensitive personal information, but the text and vote history suggest these issues were not contentious in the legislative process provided.
HB217 would amend Ohio’s missing child and missing person statutes in Revised Code sections 2901.30, 2901.41, and 2901.42 to require law enforcement agencies to enter qualifying missing-person information into NamUs, the federal National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, within 30 days if the person is not located. It preserves existing NCIC reporting duties, adds a NamUs reporting obligation for missing children and adults, and requires agencies to remove and update records when a person is found. The bill also formalizes agency policy requirements and directs the Attorney General to publish a best-practices protocol for missing-person cases.
The bill appears to have been received very positively. It advanced through the House Public Safety Committee with a 7-0 favorable vote and then passed the House unanimously, 96-0. No committee transcript was provided, but the voting record suggests broad bipartisan agreement that the bill would improve missing-person investigations and interagency coordination.
No major opposition is evident in the available record. The most likely areas of policy debate are administrative burden on local law enforcement, the timing of mandatory NamUs entry, and handling of sensitive personal information, especially in cases where foul play is not immediately suspected. The bill addresses some of those concerns by allowing agencies to follow written policies, by tying NamUs entry to a 30-day period, and by stating that it does not create a private cause of action.