Note: This is the Federal Law not the Connecticut State Law! This law benfits the nation!
ON THE ROAD TO PASSING BILLY’s LAW in the 112th Congress! YOUR help is needed!!!
On March 31, 2011 Billy’s Law HR 1300 / SR 702 was reintroduced in the House. Orginally introduced in the 111th Congress it has now been reintroduced in the 112th Congress thus the new bill numbers, HR 1300 / SR 702.
When one Congress ends it wipes the slate clean so all actions taken before the Congress ended in January 2011 under the 111th Congress now need to be redone.
This includes seeking cosponsorship and signing petitions all had to be restarted when the 111th Congress ended.
Much work is needed and needed quickly. We need everyone’s help to be successful from families of the missing, advocates, concerned citizens to the general public.
Need Accomplished ASAP all below items:
- Write an Impact Letter to be used for requesting co-sponsorship (see template and example at bottom of this blog.)
- Write, phone or email your Senators and Congressmen and ask for their co-sponsorship:
- POST EVERYWHERE! Ask your friends, family and basically everyone to contact their Congressmen and Senators and request their co-sponsorship. Post the following links on all websites and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn status: http://peace4missing.ning.com
- Sign and Leave Comment on NEW Petition “Tell Congress to pass "Billy's Law" to help identify the missing” http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-congress-to-pass-billys-law-to-help-identify-the-missing
- Send out Press Releases to your local newstations, newspapers and radio stations educating them on Billy’s Law and inviting the readers/listeners to seek co-sponsors from their Congressmen and Senators.
On behalf of the entire team here at Peace4 the Missing (Team Billy’s Law), we really appreciate your support and your hard work to make the road smoother for all families of the missing, both present and future. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Template for letter to Congress – IMAPCT LETER
[your name]
[your mailing address]
[date]
Re: “Billy’s Law” (H.R. 1300 & S.R. 702)
To the Members of the 112th Congress:
[1 – one sentence subject with call to action – why are you writing]
[2 – the issue]
[3 – the solution = Billy’s Law]
[4 – why this issue matters to you]
[5 – call to action: co-sponsor “Billy’s Law”]
Respectfully submitted,
*your signature, in blue ink, goes above your printed name
[print your name]
EXAMPLE of IMPACT Letter:
May 18, 2011 [INSERT TODAY’s DATE]
To: Members of the 112th Congress:
From: Maureen Reintjes [DELETE Maureen’s name and Insert your First and Last Name here.] Victims Advocate for the Families of the Missing [Delete Victims Advocate….and Insert your title related to the missing, such as, Family of a Missing Loved One, Concerned Citizen, Law Enforcement, PI, Organization affilliation, etc.]
Re: H.R. 1300 and S.R. 702, the Help Find the Missing Act (Billy’s Law).
[Please insert your own personal information here and delete the following bolded text.] As a person who had a loved one missing for 4 years and now as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) Victims Advocate Team Kansas I am asking that when this extraordinary legislation comes before you that you make a choice to stand behind the families of the missing by supporting, co-sponsoring and passing the Help Find the Missing Act (Billy's Law).
There are over 100,000 missing in our great country and anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 unidentified remains of people all over this country. Sad isn't it that we can't even come up with an accurate count? Those numbers by themselves should get your attention. But have you stopped to think about how many lives are forever changed when a loved one is missing? 1/2 million plus US citizens get up every morning and go to sleep every night living this nightmare, many for decades. If 1/2 million people were suffering from the flu you would sit up and take notice, wouldn't you? It would be an epidemic. These numbers are at an epidemic level that no one in this country is immune to. The government has rushed in and helped far less numbers of citizens in times of national disasters, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, fires, etc. The missing and the unidentified and the impact on their families and friends is a national disaster. This can happen to anyone's family, anyone.
Do you know how many people are missing in your state? Do you know where to turn to get ALL those numbers and see those faces? Do you know how many unidentified remains are in your state? Do your fellow state residents know where to get these numbers and view these cases? People missing and unidentified remains are a concern for public safety and homeland security. When you don’t know why a person is missing then they could have been murdered, are being exploited or something criminal happened to them or by them. When a missing person case is not solved or an unidentified person case is not solved then it is highly likely that criminals/murderers/terrorists walk among us unpunished. Doesn't it make sense to do all you can do to strengthen NamUs so the data is all housed in one clearinghouse, one repository for both the missing and the unidentified remains so that cases can be solved quicker, families given answers quicker and the public protected quicker? Doesn’t it make sense to strengthen NamUs so that Law Enforcement, Coroners, Medical Examiners, the Families of the Missing, the Media and the Public can all have access to one repository to aid in collaboration between all entities of solving these cases? Connect this disconnected system and more families of the missing will get their answers. And, for those families yet to come they will have the hope of a much quicker answer than ever before once Billy’s Law is law. You can make that happen. Please for the families of the missing and for the safety of this country please cosponsor HR 1300 / SR 702, Billy's Law.
Thank you for your time and your service to our country.
[Your signature in blue ink, here.]
Maureen Reintjes [Insert your First and Last Name here, delete Maureen’s name.]
[Insert your Street Address – Mandatory for validation.]
[Insert your City, State Zip Code – Mandatory for validation.]
[Insert your phone number – optional.]
[Insert your email address – optional.]
The bulleted points above are my signature tag line. It helps to show who you are affilated with. For families of the missing you might consider including info such as your missing loved ones name and a link to his/her NamUs file. And, include any valid non profit missing person organizations you are a part of or volunteer for. [DELETE the bulleted text and Insert your own info.]
Bill Summary & Status 112th Congress (2011 - 2012): H.R.1300 (Check http://www.thomas.gov and search on the bill number HR 1300 or SR 702 for current legislative updates.)
H.R.1300 | Latest Title: Billy's Law | Sponsor: Rep Murphy, Christopher S. [CT-5] (introduced 3/31/2011) | Cosponsors : Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] - 3/31/2011 | Related Bills: S.702 | Latest Major Action: 3/31/2011 Referred to House committee. | Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. SUMMARY AS OF: 3/31/2011--Introduced. Billy's Law or the Help Find the Missing Act - Authorizes the Attorney General to maintain public databases, known as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs, to contain missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to assist in identifying missing people and solve cases of unidentified human remains. (Transfers to such System all functions, personnel, assets, liabilities, and administrative actions applicable to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System carried out by the National Institute of Justice before enactment of this Act.) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) provide for the sharing of information on missing persons and unidentified human remains contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) missing and unidentified person database and the NamUs database; (2) update the online data entry format for such databases to allow states to report information to each database; (3) establish a matching grant program to assist in the reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains information to the NCIC and NamUs databases; (4) issue a report to the offices of medical examiners, offices of coroners, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies describing the best practices for collecting, reporting, and analyzing data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains; and (5) report to Congress on the status of the NCIC Missing and Unidentified Person File and NamUs databases. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require reports of missing children (under age 21) to NamUs databases. Allows authorized agencies to remove or override information from the NamUs and NCIC databases if such information is submitted on behalf of a public user and is deemed to be inaccurate. TITLE(S): (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill): SHORT TITLE(S) AS INTRODUCED: Billy's Law | Help Find the Missing Act | OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED: To authorize funding for, and increase accessibility to, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, to facilitate data sharing between such system and the National Crime Information Center database of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to provide incentive grants to help facilitate reporting to such systems, and for other purposes.
