wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1736 > Original Bill
When a person reported missing has not been found within thirty days of the report, or at any time the investigating agency suspects criminal activity to be the basis of the victim being missing, the sheriff, chief of police, county coroner or county medical examiner, or other law enforcement authority initiating and conducting the investigation for the missing person shall: (1) File a missing person's report with the Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit; (2) initiate the collection of DNA samples from the known missing person and their family members for nuclear and mitochondrial DNA testing along with the necessary consent forms; and (3) enter the case into the national crime information center system through the Washington state patrol electronic database. Upon knowledge from the national crime information center system, the Washington state patrol's crime information center, or similar or subsequent authority, that a person in custody at a jail, or being released from custody, is the subject of a missing person's report, the jail shall notify the agency of original jurisdiction for the missing person's report.
The Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit shall ask the missing person's family or next of kin to give written consent to contact the dentist or dentists of the missing person and request the person's dental records.
The missing person's dentist or dentists shall provide diagnostic quality copies of the missing person's dental records or original dental records to the Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit when presented with the written consent from the missing person's family or next of kin or with a statement from the sheriff, chief of police, county coroner or county medical examiner, or other law enforcement authority that the missing person's family or next of kin could not be located in the exercise of due diligence , the missing person's family or next of kin refuse to consent to the release of the missing person's dental records , or the next of kin is not able to sign a release due to circumstances that limit access and ability to obtain a signature.
As soon as possible after collecting the DNA samples, the sheriff, chief of police, or other law enforcement authority shall submit the DNA samples to the appropriate laboratory.
The descriptive information from missing person's reports and dental data submitted to the Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit shall be recorded and maintained by the Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit in the applicable dedicated missing person's databases.
When a person reported missing has been found, the sheriff, chief of police, coroner or medical examiner, or other law enforcement authority shall report such information to the Washington state patrol.
The dental identification system shall maintain a file of information regarding persons reported to it as missing. The file shall contain the information referred to in this section and such other information as the Washington state patrol finds relevant to assist in the location of a missing person.
The files of the dental identification system shall, upon request, be made available to law enforcement agencies attempting to locate missing persons.
The Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit shall establish and maintain a statewide missing persons website, which shall be available to the public. The Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit shall post relevant information to the website concerning persons reported missing in the state of Washington. For missing persons, the website must contain, but is not limited to: The person's name, physical description, photograph, and other information that is deemed necessary according to the adopted protocols. The website must allow citizens to more broadly disseminate information regarding missing persons for at least 30 days.
Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit shall regularly transmit information contained on its missing persons website to the national missing and unidentified persons system.
The Washington state patrol missing and unidentified persons unit shall establish an interface with local law enforcement agencies and its missing persons website, the toll-free 24-hour hotline, and national and other statewide missing persons systems or clearinghouses.
Local law enforcement agencies shall file an official missing person's report and enter biographical information into the state missing persons computerized network without delay after notification of a missing person's report is received under this chapter.