MS HB1289

Law enforcement agencies must adopt written policies specifying procedures for investigating missing children reports, including accepting reports, initiating investigations, transferring information between jurisdictions, and maintaining National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database standards with monthly case reviews.

Agencies cannot prohibit or discourage filing missing child reports, cannot establish mandatory waiting periods before accepting reports, and must treat runaway children as missing children rather than excluding them based on voluntary absence.

Upon receiving a missing child report, agencies must immediately file the report in the appropriate county or municipality, inform on-duty officers, institute search procedures, and transmit the report to the NCIC database within federal timeframes.

Agencies must verify and update NCIC records within 30 days with additional information including medical and dental records and recent photographs, notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of missing foster child reports, and evaluate circumstances for Amber Alert issuance.

Missing child database entries cannot be removed from NCIC based solely on the child's age, and persons reporting missing children in good faith are granted immunity from civil or criminal liability.