House Passes a Resolution on Missing Persons - Women's Congressional Policy Institute

On September 24, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Res. 303) expressing the sense of the House that there should be a day established to heighten awareness of missing persons.

Sponsored by Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

on any given day, there are as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the United States;
in 2005, 109,531 persons were reported missing to law enforcement agencies nationwide, of whom 11,868 were between the ages of 18 and 20;
many persons reported missing may be victims of Alzheimer’s disease or other health-related issues, or may be victims of foul play; and
it is important to applaud the committed efforts of families, law enforcement agencies, and concerned citizens who work to locate missing persons and to prevent all forms of victimization.Speaking in support of her resolution, Rep. Gillibrand said, “This issue is especially significant for my constituents. On March 2, 1998, Suzanne Lyall, a 19-year-old sophomore at SUNY Albany, was kidnapped and never seen again…Furthermore, the statistics show that a disproportionate number of adults reported missing are college-aged women. Currently in New York state, over two-thirds of the college-aged individuals reported missing are female, and this group also makes up approximately half of all missing adults. It is important that the federal government partners with local law enforcement to protect young women as they attend college or enter the workforce.” She concluded, “With over 100,000 Americans unaccounted for, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters, a day must be established to remind the public of those missing and our country’s dedication to solving their cases and, hopefully, reuniting them with families and loved ones. I hope my colleagues will join me in unanimously approving this resolution and that the president will soon establish a day to bring awareness to the issue of missing persons.”
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) said, “Each year tens of thousands of people go missing in the United States. Probably there isn’t a day goes by that some newspaper doesn’t report either a child or adult that is missing. It is a national crisis affecting thousands of families. I think these families struggle through the loss and pain of losing their loved ones and often need support and guidance during the search for their missing friends or family members. Through effective legislation, grants have been provided to our organizations tasked with tracking missing persons and provide much-needed support services to families. Legislation has also ensured that agencies are able to keep updated databases on missing persons. It’s important that we take time to recognize and applaud the work of law enforcement agencies, concerned citizens, and, of course, the families who unite together to find their loved ones and support prevention efforts. I urge the passage of this resolution.”